Crystal glanced at a clock on one of the walls and sighed inwardly. It was almost over. After smiling and engaging in ceaseless polite conversation for four hours, she had remembered every reason why she didn't miss the world of social elitism one bit.
As the crowd started to disperse, Crystal tried to follow a group out to the doors, but a familiar tug of magic on her hoof forcefully guided her away. She rolled her eyes, then smiled as her mother came into view. "Mother, I have places to be. Can we talk another time?"
Upper Crust peered down her snout. One brow started to raise before it dropped back into place. "So, darling, what brought you here?" She turned and looked at one of the paintings on the wall behind her. "You socialized only with important ponies, so it isn't a friend you came to see or support."
Crystal sighed and stepped forward to stand beside her. "I came to socialize, Mother."
Upper Crust's ears twitched upright. "I see. So this is about your stallionfriend." She tilted her head slightly. "Are you going to move out now that you and Velvet are no longer an item?"
Crystal raised her hoof and, very carefully due to the heels she wore, pressed it to her face while she shook her head. "Mother, Velvet and I are just friends."
"What?" Upper Crust jerked her head to the side to stare at Crystal with wide eyes. "You cannot be serious, darling! Does Velvet know you only see her as a friend?"
"Yes, Mother," Crystal groaned. "We both know. We're just friends! We've always just been friends!"
Upper Crust just stared at her for a while before she raised a hoof to paw at the air. "And this stallion of yours, when you said you only see him as 'just a stallion,' does that mean he is only a friend as well?"
Crystal glared up at her. "I didn't mean it that way! All I meant was he's not a commander or Celestia Cross bearer or anything but a stallion with whom I prefer to spend my time. Intimately." Her eyes widened and she sputtered to correct herself, "Not that kind of intimately! I just mean—friendly—but more than friends—"
Surprisingly, Upper Crust interrupted her with a small bout of laughter. It wasn't hidden behind a hoof, but instead seemed to have escaped before Upper Crust could even think to smother it. "Darling, this is the very reason why you should not have dropped out of charm school. You have no control over your composure in the face of embarrassment." She sighed and returned to admiring the piece of art before them. "What do you see?"
Crystal swallowed her embarrassment and irritation, then looked up. The painting was abstract shapes and colors that only vaguely resembled the figure of a pony. Crystal's ears flattened to the sides as she mulled over her options: an honest response, or the response her mother wanted. Finally, she sighed and recited, "A thought-provoking piece of work that showcases the clear talent of the artist."
Upper Crust snorted. "And why must we say it is thought-provoking when it is clearly little more than garbage?"
"Because you never know if the artist will be a pony of note, and it's better to praise a nopony than insult a somepony." Crystal glanced at her mother, who smiled back at her.
"Good, darling. You remember the basics. Now, back to the issue at hoof." She turned and started to walk toward where Jet Set stood with a group of other stallions. "When will we meet this stallion of yours?"
The hairs on the back of Crystal's neck and shoulders raised in a primal response of fight or flight. "I don't know, Mother."
Upper Crust sighed and shook her head. "That is hardly a 'when,' now, is it?" She cleared her throat as they approached the group. "Jet Set, dear, I'm so terribly sorry to interrupt..."
Jet Set turned his head, smiling. "Not at all!" He glanced back at the stallions. "Excuse me, boys, but I need to talk to my girls." He broke away to meet them halfway. "Hello, dear. Did you have a nice time?"
Crystal smiled. "Of course, Dad."
"Good, good. I hope we'll see more of you at these sort of events?" He lifted a champagne flute to his lips to take a sip. "In fact, there is one coming up in a few months that your mother and I were very much hoping you would join us for."
Crystal's smile fell just slightly and she glanced between them, noting the roll of her mother's eyes. "What is that?"
Jet Set beamed at her. "Jet Ventures will be holding an entitlement ceremony for a brand new line of luxury skyliners!" He puffed out his chest with familial pride. "The company's been stuck in a lull for quite some time, you know. The idea of a deluxe, luxury airship that could carry ponies across Equestria in comfort and style came to me in a dream. I sent the plans off to your grandfather and I suppose he rather liked it!"
Crystal blinked a few times, her brow starting to furrow. "I didn't know you decided to start working at the company, Dad."
"What? Oh, no, dear." He shook his head. "I just drew up some initial sketches, that's all." He chuckled and added with a wink, "The idea of working with your grandfather is as tempting as I'm sure it is for you to attend events with your parents."
Upper Crust shot him a cross look. "Darling, please refrain from making such comparisons between me and your parents."
Jet Set nodded at her, but winked to Crystal with the eye facing away from his wife. "Sorry, dear."
"I'll be there," Crystal said, smiling. "It's been years since I saw Grandmother and Grandfather. Now, if there isn't anything else, I really do have somewhere to be." She took a step back and, when neither stopped her, turned and started for the doors.
She was finally climbing out of one fire, but potentially jumping into another. She took a deep breath and just tried to focus on the tasks at hoof: flagging down one of the valets to get her sulky home, finding a safe place to park it out of the elements, then getting herself over to Silent and Winterspear's to assess the situation with their mother.
---
Though nothing was on fire, tension was in the air when Crystal arrived. Wallflower sat at one end of the couch with an urn on the end table beside her, Winterspear and Iridescence were side-by-side at the other end, and Dot was sprawled on the floor with an open coloring book. Nopony said anything other than a brief greeting after Winterspear let Crystal inside, and nopony looked at one another. They all just sat there, staring, while Crystal tried to busy herself with making tea.
It was just as relaxing to make as it was to drink, and with how on edge everypony was, she planned to make a triple batch.
"So," Wallflower finally said, "if I understand correctly, he didn't even tell you where he is going or when he will get back, Crystal?"
Crystal's ears perked upright at the sound of her name. "No, ma'am."
"It's a classified mission, Mom," Winterspear mumbled. "He didn't tell anypony."
Wallflower turned her gaze on her daughter. "Then why is Crystal here, exactly?"
Winterspear started to lower her head, then jerked it up with hardened resolve. "Because Silent needs all the support he can get. From all of us."
"I disagree." Wallflower's eyes narrowed just slightly. "This is a family matter. We will wait for him to return home, allow him some time to relax, and then you and I will give him the news. Alone."
From a safe distance, Crystal served the first round of tea, using her magic to set it in front of them without having to physically insert herself into the conversation.
Dot blinked when a teacup landed beside her in-progress drawing. "I don't want tea," she said with her nose scrunched up.
Crystal smiled. "I added extra honey and sugar in yours, though."
"Oh." Dot scooted forward, sniffed the tea, then took a tentative sip. "Okay, I changed my mind. Thanks!"
"I thought you would like it." Crystal lifted her gaze to see Winterspear and Wallflower still locked in debate.
Winterspear let out a frustrated snort. "Well, Mom, maybe if you knew him better you'd know why separating him from the ponies that care about him is a stupid plan."
Silence gripped the air and threatened to choke the life out of the room. Slowly, Wallflower lowered her teacup and turned to look at Crystal. "Crystal, would you mind taking Iridescence and Dot out of the room?"
Crystal could only nod, all sense of speech lost from the frigid eyes staring her down. Iridescence gave Winterspear's hoof a reassuring squeeze before she slid off the couch, scooped Dot up in her magic, and walked with Crystal into the next room.
Dot squirmed against the magic holding her, but to no avail. "Hey! I wasn't done drawing!"
Once the door was shut behind them and the sound of arguing started up almost immediately, Iridescence sighed. "This is going well."
Dot glared up at her sister. "Put me down!"
Iridescence returned the glare twofold. "Not until you say 'please'."
"Ugh." Dot rolled her eyes, then put on the sweetest expression and squealed, "Pleeease?" She was dropped a little forcefully onto the floor, at which point she turned away from Iridescence, pouting. "Meanie."
"Dot, I swear to—" Iridescence bit back the rest of her words with a groan. "Please, just sit still and quiet for a bit, okay?"
Dot looked over her shoulder to stick her tongue out.
Crystal put a hoof on Iridescence's shoulder, offering a small smile. "It's going to be all right." She crouched down by the door and peered through the crack between it and the floor, doing her best to ignore the less-than-polite words being exchanged between mother and daughter.
Instead, she focused on what she could see of Dot's scattered books and papers, wrapping one of the pages as well as a couple loose crayons in her magic. With slow and careful movements, she pulled them closer and slid them under the door. Dot gasped, but before she could resume her coloring, Iridescence's magic snatched the items away.
"Hey!" Dot frowned up at her. "Those are mine!"
Iridescence waggled a scolding hoof. "What do you say?"
"Please?"
"What? No!" She groaned, the hoof moving to instead point at Crystal. "What do you say to her?"
"Oh." Dot looked at Crystal, then frown flipping into a smile. "Thank you, pretty pony!" The paper and crayons were lowered down for Dot to grab them.
Iridescence leaned against the wall and rubbed her temples. "I don't know why I thought I could raise a filly..."
Crystal smiled, moving over to sit down beside her. She watched Dot as the little filly swirled the different colors together in a nonsensical mess of lines. "I think you're doing fine, especially given that she's your sister."
"Be grateful you're an only child," Iridescence muttered.
The argument in the other room came to a sudden halt. Iridescence and Crystal looked at each other with shared worry, then jumped when the door creaked open.
"We've come to an agreement," Wallflower said, glancing between the mares. "Iridescence, you will be in charge of finding out when he will arrive so that Winterspear, Crystal, and I will be here to give him the news." She arched one brow. "Is that acceptable to the two of you?"
They both quickly nodded and agreed in unison, "Yes, ma'am."
"Good." Wallflower turned to walk back to the couch. "And I will stay here with Winterspear until he returns."
Winterspear jerked her head up and her ears pinned back as her mouth opened to argue, but she dropped back down into a resigned posture. "Yes, Mom."
"And Crystal, if you intend to be here as Winterspear wishes for you to be, then you will need to be ready at a moments' notice to come over."
Crystal nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
Wallflower folded her hooves in her lap. "The issue's resolved, then."
Iridescence went to Winterspear's side and Crystal walked into the kitchen to start heating up another kettle. The tension returned along with the silence, both of which were rather abruptly broken when Dot trotted into the living room.
"I'm done!" she squealed.
"Done with what, Dot?" Wallflower asked, looking at the filly with a faint smile.
Five pieces of paper swirled in Dot's magic and one of them moved out to hover in front of Wallflower. "This one's for you, Mrs. Wallflower," Dot said in a tone that teetered between serious and sweet. "It's you with a big smiley face because I think you need to smile more." Before anypony could react, she dropped the paper in Wallflower's lap to focus instead on moving a second one over to Iridescence.
"And this one's for you. It's Winterspear in a pretty dress, 'cause I know you like that kinda thing." She puffed out her chest as she waited expectantly for praise.
Iridescence furrowed her brow at the mess of blue and purple lines in the vague shape of a pony, though a grin started to twitch into place. "Thanks, Dot."
Dot nodded and repeated the process, this time offering one to Winterspear. "And this one is Iridescence in a pretty dress! 'Cause that's only fair, right?"
Winterspear hid a giggle behind a hoof and did her best to nod seriously. "She looks very lovely, Dot."
"I know, d'uh. I drew her that way." Dot pranced to the boundary between the living area and the kitchen to give Crystal her drawing. "And this is Silent Knight... but he's in a pretty dress, too. I don't know how to draw armor. Okay? It's really hard."
Crystal nearly fumbled with the teapot in her magic as she laughed. "It's all right, I don't know how to draw armor, either." She accepted the drawing with both hooves. "I'll put it on my fridge the moment I get home."
"Oh." Dot's ears fell to the sides. "You're not gonna hang it on the wall?"
Crystal paused. Her gaze flicked over to Iridescence, who gave an exaggerated nod, and she mirrored the motion. "Of course I'm going to hang it on the wall, Dot."
"Then why did you say the fridge?" Dot peered at her with clear skepticism.
"It was a joke?"
Dot pursed her lips, furrowed her brow, then sighed. "You're not good at drawing armor or jokes." She pranced forward to pat Crystal on one foreleg. "But it's okay, 'cause you're pretty. My sisters told me as long as you're pretty then a stallion will take care of you." She paused before tilting her head. "Is that why you're with Silent Knight? So he'll take care of you?"
Crystal's mouth wriggled in all sorts of directions as she tried not to laugh. Before she could formulate a response, Iridescence quickly asked, "Dot, what's the last one?"
"Huh?" Dot looked up at the paper still swirling in her magic. "Oh. This one's for Silent Knight."
The room went quiet, Iridescence hesitating a moment too long so Wallflower asked for her, "And what do you have for him?"
Dot lowered the drawing and stared at it, her little face falling into a small pout. "Well, I wanted to draw Silent Knight with his daddy so he could remember him, but then I realized I didn't know what his daddy looked like, so it's just Silent Knight standing alone." She looked up at the varying sad expressions and shouted, "I'm not done with it yet, okay?!"
Crystal stepped forward and smiled down at Dot. "Why don't you keep working on it, and then you can give it to him when he gets home?"
Dot pouted, staring at the lone pony figure. "But I dunno what else to put on it."
"You could draw yourself with him," Wallflower suggested, her voice turning all eyes to her. She disregarded the attention, instead keeping her own focus on Dot.
"That's a great idea!" Dot squealed and ran over to the rest of her crayons, flopping down on the floor and getting straight to work. "And I'll draw you and Winterspear and Iridescence and Crystal, too! It'll be a new family portrait!"
Wallflower looked over at Winterspear and Iridescence, then at Crystal, then straight ahead. "I suppose that's true."
I had to read this one from the airport
Poor Crystal ;D
Wallflower knows how to get her way, most of the time...
And Winterspear knows how to choose her battles.
And wow! That was that a heavy chapter! Mom-manipulation level 8 or 9!
Her new Coltfriend's mom is antagonistic, there is recent death in the family, and her own mother is less-than supportive. If Crystal can navigate this mess, she has the brains of a master politician, an inner backbone of steel, and all the grace of a socialite. And she never needed charm school!
I'm a broken record...GET OUT CRYSTAL!!! There is nary a doubt that continued immersion in the social cesspool that is Canterlot will result in unpleasantness!
*snort* *suppressed giggle* *hoof over mouth* *calm face* *deep breath* BWAHAHHAHAHHAHAHA !!!
Okay, you know what? I changed my mind Crystal, stick it out for a few more social events. Should make for some hilarity every now and again.
Oh please don't let Runic fly the Maiden voyage for any of said aircraft. Ponies running and screaming in terror belongs in other stories.
Ooh. Ouch. You can practically feel the wind from that verbal right hook. Wallflower's control is admirable at times. A lesser pony would have laced into Winterspear right then and there.
Oh kids! Gotta love the bluntness of innocence. Notice how nopony disagreed or reprimanded Dot? Yeah, mama Wallflower, you need to take a chisel to the face of stone.
There's a thing I never knew I wanted. I demand 'Silent Knight in a pretty dress' art. Artist proficiency level irrelevant. This is a thing that must exist. Potentially on my wall, as well.
I loved this. Ponies (and people) tend to forget how complex an individual can be. Just when you're sure you know them, they will surprise you.
Just think, these moms will meet at some point.
Hmmmmmmmmm. I wonder if something something hijacked maiden voyage is in store. Silent Knight the Pretty Pretty Princess is sure to find a place of permanent honor on the wall just as soon as a suitable frame is found.
want to know what I find really amusing in this chapter. The fact that Upper-crust had to be told bluntly that her daughter was not into mare's. By her own daughter.
6290132 Just make sure that Dot draws the Lieutenant's bars on the collar of the dress...
6290110 6290132 Whoops, it looks like Crystal dropped something!
i.imgur.com/56g9BQo.png
6290200 Best SK fan art yet!
6290200
It's official, Dot's artwork is already critically acclaimed! No wonder she insisted it be mounted on the wall!
6290264
It really is an opportunity for extreme trolling. Crystal has something of a royal connection. Get Dot's artwork put up as an exhibit by the artist . who was recently discovered by a princess and wait for the fun to pour in. It would double nicely as a social climbers outing.
Dot is so adorable oh my gosh so cute. Great chapter!
6290200
6290239
So very majestic.
Dot Whenever Dot is happening I start questioning my choice of favourite filly.
6290115 I don't think I want to be alive when it happens.
6290200 Hanging it on my fridge. Now.
Hahaha! You really can't blame your mother for being confused, Crystal, everyone else was.
Good question, it's become clear that it's better to ask than assume.
A dream, huh? Luna, are you meddling?
Pretty smooth there with the tea, Crystal, especially the tea for Dot. Ooo, and with the coloring material, too.
Man, that compromise regarding Silent, so...ordered. Everything in its place.
Nice.
Bwhahahahaha! That picture needs to be framed and saved for later.
Ouch, that's just... Ouch.
Much better.
Wow what a day for Crystal. First she had to endure Canterlot's elite, then go to a family in the midst of a disagreement. At least things turned out all right in the end, and Crystal is allowed to be present to give SK the love and support he needs from more than just family.
SO why is Wallflower such a big sourpuss.
Gosh, Dot is so cute.
6289948 It's okay. Sometimes... it disturbs me, too. Especially when I accidentally get a ,000 total story word count without even trying. Dark magic!
6289955 Well, I hope you didn't miss your flight or anything because of my story!
6289960 She knew what this was!
6289993 You'd almost think I have something against moms, but look at Sunbeam! She's sweet enough to balance the both of 'em out, right? Right?
6290110 I'm not going to say Runic won't, at some point, be near, above, under, or on an aircraft in the course of events of this story. I am glad Wallflower's tender moment didn't go unnoticed, though.
6290115 I'll be honest. I hadn't fully gasped the terror of that idea until just now. Thanks!
6290132 Who would hijack the new airship! Who would do that?!
6290168 I'm glad not just I found the humor in that moment!
6290264 Little did we all know, their little drawing gifts from Dot were actually work thousands of bits!
6290364 I know! It wasn't planned for her to have such a role in this chapter but I'm so glad she did. She is kind of adorable!
6290457 Dot is a great artist... I definitely couldn't draw like her even if I tried.
6290584 I must ask, who is she contending with for the favoritism spot?
6290667 I won't lie. When I wrote that line about Silent Knight being alone in Dot's picture, I had to pause, reread it, and go "... Damn, Dot." I hit myself in the feels with that one.
6290862 It's never easy to be in someone else's house while the folks are fighting. The tension is always so... awkward. But, things are looking up, at least a little bit, eh?
6290909 I certainly don't want to tell anyone how or what to think. It's my belief that we saw the reasons why back when she visited her son in the hospital: she's been through the pain before and had to toughen up in order to survive, because it's clear Stratus wasn't the type to get burned then just back off. After so many years of dealing with a pony like Stratus, I think you have to build walls around yourself to keep yourself from falling apart...
6290963 I know! She is so much fun to write, too.
Eh...can anyone make a fan art of SK in a dress? hahahaha
6291057 Good point. And it will no doubt take several years before she decides to gradually pull down those walls.
That chapter was so... ouch. The last part hurt, while the first part... I still want to give Upper Crust a proper Aztec end.... But Dot... she made the whole thing better. Silent Knight in a pretty dress? Okay, now I'm having a hard time reigning in my laughter, no matter how serious the rest of the chapter was.
6291396
Give me a week, and fan art will be had.
6289243 you code? hmm, I've entertained that as a job choice more than a few times
Silent Knight in a pretty dress. Need I say more? I love you for that! no homo, that is.
~Melly~
We need a meme for this.
From the mouths of children indeed...
The different perspectives on Upper Crust and Wallflower were interesting in this. We got to see a somewhat lighter side of Crystal's mom, and a slightly darker side of Winterspear's. Perhaps Wallflower isn't as unfeeling about this whole situation as her daughter seems to think she is.
Why can't real children be this unintentionally insightful? I feel like this is one of those moments where, in a different version of Equestria, one where that sentence wasn't said, Winterspear, Iridescence, and Crystal are in for a lot of headaches that were just neatly avoided in this one.
6291486 Indeed! Or something drastic... but let's hope nothing that extreme happens.
6291494 Leave it to Dot to turn a feels-y, tense chapter into a gigglefit! Oh, Dot!
6291745 Eeyup! I was originally going to pursue an English degree and become some kind of teacher who writes on the side hoping to make it big, but one semester I had Chaucer (in the original language ) and a basic Java class side-by-side. I quickly discovered which I liked more.
6291846 I'm glad to give you some relief from the tension! Dot is pretty great for that.
6292045 You're welcome!
6292501 To be frank, I didn't intend for it to come out that way (lighter side of Crusty, darker side of ... Wallfy??). One of those things where, when I reread the chapter, I give myself a pat on the back. Totally non-egotistically, of course. And, repeating myself from an earlier reply... Dot was an accident (ouch that is a terrible choice of words!) ... unplanned (no no no) ... Happy surprise! I got to the part just before she marched in and announced she was done and not to sound schizophrenic or anything, but I heard her go "I'm done!" in my head. The rest just kind of... happened.
6291057 Current first place holder is Kera. Yeah, I know the text doesn't make any sense to you
6292968 Ahh, your Austraeoh thing. Won't even try to compete, especially since Dot's technically not my OC!
6291396
Nope. Definitely not. Can't possibly fit it in. Already have too much to art for her majesty already.
I'm going to have to, aren't I?
6292888
It worked out well with the parents, whether it was entirely intentional or not. I was expecting Winterspear to be all emotional about this, but getting the same kind of emotion from Wallflower was a nice touch. A slight crack in the armor she's built around herself, if you will. It's the little things--the social cues that often get overlooked in writing and the more complex reactions to emotional situations--that really make slice of life so difficult to write, and these last two chapters have really showcased your skill at it.
And Dot was just perfect, especially in that situation. Crystal and Wallflower are both masters of the social game, navigating carefully through the delicate interactions between ponies to create a carefully crafted image, and then Dot just walks in and steamrolls straight to the things that are important.
6292888 to bad people don't get cutie marks...
6291057 Now if only Red were a little bit older we would have an OTP
6293433 You've just answered yourself, mate.
AND I am finally caught up. Sorry, I have been Über busy as of late. Can't wait for the next chapter. First kiss was adorable. Tragedy seems to strike just as things settle down, don't they?
6295186 It's all right, we all have lives outside of FiMFiction! I perfectly understand. Glad to hear from you again, though!
Dang, Dot really takes advantage of being a cute kid.
Sulky! If Velvet's parents or Donut Joe ever broke into the upper crust (heh), they'd probably go for a berline. Okay, no more bad and/or obscure puns.
Huh. Well, the reasons for doing so are sycophantic, but it means that they're less likely to be a jerk (publicly), so...yay? Poor Crystal. I do hope we get to see the airships, even if she isn't into them; I've got a project I've been kicking around for awhile, and like to get different perspectives on something the show touches on, but doesn't give many details.
Crystal, at what point exactly did I give you the emotional club with which you keep bludgeoning me?
This exchange is simply sublime. It expresses so gently exactly what I believed about Wallflower, and does so in with such a simple, striking piece of imagery. Fantastic.
7005149 One of my favorite things about writing children is that they are the perfect for kicks in the feels with their blunt yet innocent ways of looking at things.
I also love Wallflower. There are so many feelings she keeps behind the "wall". In the few times I've written her, I've tried to be very careful with how she presents herself.
"And this is Silent Knight... but he's in a pretty dress, too.
http://www.hgtv.com/design/make-and-celebrate/handmade/turn-old-canvas-drop-cloths-into-modern-art