So what's the hold up?

So it's been a while and Thanksgiving is soon approaching us (at least, in the United States), so the reflection of what one has is often on the minds of many. I'm thankful for my followers and their patients with my lack of new chapters for Final Filly Fantasy. As a way to express this gratitude, I'm posting the beginning part of what I have for CH.4 after the break. If you want to know the reason for my lack of progress into developing this story, then continue reading.

As of now, I have 5,398 words in it and I think it might reach well into 10,000 at some point, but these past months have been burdening me with 'need-to-do-now' issues.

First off, work. I've come to notice that my job basically makes me atone in some way whenever I have a holiday. Extended hours, mandatory work on Saturday, that sort of thing. With a 'holiday' that lasted 2 months now over, my punishment was inhumane. 6PM to 6AM throughout the week with regular hours on Friday, totaling at 56 hours of work during a week. Once it seemed to cool down around the beginning of August, we returned to the regular 40 hours. And half way through the month, it started up again with 48 hours, 56 hours, I even had one week with 64 hours of work involved. I think it goes without saying of how exhausted I was.

As of now, they FINALLY decided to get a 3rd shift going to return us to normal times, but we have to work 2 Saturdays now thanks to 'Voting Day' and 'Veterans Day'. So we can only hope that the end of this nightmare is about to end.

The second reason I've been busy is that there have been some moments where I need to write about a different story for various purposes in mind. One was for gaining $15, another was out of frustration, and there have been a few that were abandoned for being undeveloped. I'm sad to say that I'm currently focused on finishing a story to win a chance for it to be recommended to Seattle's Angels (I'm fairly certain the idea I have for my story will strike it rich).

With Christmas also approaching in the near future, trying to finish this chapter will be a hassle, but I want to assure that I'm not going to abandon this story. Final Filly Fantasy might slow down at times, but I've planned out too much out for it just to let it be wasted. I'll get this story finished eventually.

...just for displaying an image, here's something completely unrelated to the topic.

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Pushing the drape aside with a groggy look on her face, Tempest Shadow covers a yawn as she walks into Mino's store.  A scent of cinnamon hits Tempest's nose this time upon entering, but it did little to drown the aroma of tomatoes that lingers on her body.  She rubs her bare neck as her eyes adjust to the indoor lighting, quickly spotting the small owner of the place using a bellow to warm up the giant cauldron with liquid that emits the spicy scent she got coming in.

Tempest eases her stance in her battle gear, falling into a daze as she waits for Mino.

"Stayed up late, kupo?" Mino asks, still attending his work.

"I... just had some trouble sleeping last night."

"Because of the smell, kupo?"

Tempest shakes her head, "It's because I had another ni..." she pauses for a moment, releasing a tiny bit of her breath as she clears her mind.  "Let's just get back to the reason I'm here.  The other day, you said that if I got you six tentacles from that creature in the tunnels, then you would help make my Focus Crystal stronger in some way over the course of the night."

The tip of Mino's hat bounces as he nods and he scampers over to retrieve the necklace.

"So how does tentacles fit in with upgrading an accessory?" Tempest speaks louder to fit Mino's distance.

"By synthesizing six of those tentacles, six steel pipes, and six bottles of my special remedy, I made a 'Solomon Ring'." Mino digs out the necklace from a table drawer and makes his way back to Tempest, "I purified it to make a 'Ring of the Lucii', and then synchronize that with your crystal, kupo."  Mino bestows the accessory for Tempest to take, "No longer a 'Focus Crystal', but now a 'Guardian Crystal', kupo!"

Tempest scoops up the lace of it and lets the crystal sway before her eyes, studying the deep blue mineral for anything different about it. "...nothing's changed."

"It has changed, kupo." Mino blusters, "I swear on my pom-pom it has."

"Then what's different about it?"

"It has two new properties to it, kupo."

The liquid inside the room's giant cauldron begins to bubble, signaling Mino to retrieve a bottle and make his way over to the pot, scooping some of the liquid into the container.

"Do you know how energy is, kupo?" Mino asks as he corks the bottle.

"It's something that I'm lacking right now," Tempest's dry sense of humor ironically has a yawn at the end.

"Energy, in physics, is something that can only be transferred from one thing to another through the result of work, kupo.  Moving around, making a sound, those are a form of energy being used, kupo.  Even your soul plays a part in this as it transfers its own energy into the body heat you're emitting.  And your flux light acts in the same way as your soul does, but with magic, kupo."

"So what does all this have to do with the crystal?"

"Your Focus Crystal could only keep some of this magic from escaping your body, kupo.  But this improvement will seal all magic within your body until you want to use a spell, allowing you to make the most out of your magic, kupo."

The news interests Tempest enough to escape her drowsy state, but part of that is due to the issue she notices, "It sounds helpful, but it also sounds like it would give me some problems if I don't keep casting spells."

"It would, that's why the second feature will fix it, kupo.  The extra magic you'll possess won't truly be sealed within you, but rather transferred over to the crystal for storage, kupo.  When the crystal begins to shine yellow, it won't take in anymore magic and it'll begin to emit the extra magic it gains from itself, kupo.  Once it does turn yellow, you'll be able to use the magic stored inside to make a big powerful spell, kupo."

Tempest looks at the crystal, waffling over this change, "And what kind of spell can that be?"

"Your choice, kupo."  Mino waddles his way over to Tempest, carrying the bottle in hand.  "Just use any spell you like and push yourself to the limit, and it'll break your spell to greater heights if you do that, kupo."  He points the bottle's head at the pony, "Making a powerful and effective burst of magic!"

Mino pops open the bottle and the cinnamon scent it holds comes charging out towards Tempest's sinuses.  The powerful smell snaps all the drowsiness out of her and leaves her at full attention.

"It'll take some time to refill after each use, so pick your times wisely, kupo."

"Time!"  Tempest exclaims with fresh ambition.  She flips the necklace over her head and lets it fall around her neck.  "I gotta hurry over to the docks!"