Crystal yawned as she walked into the main living space above Haut-Savoir, her hooves dragging across the wooden boards. "Good morning."
Horsey looked up from where she sat on the floor with Claire in front of her. "Oh, good morning, Crystal!" She giggled. "I wasn't sure when to expect you up. You showed up so late last night that I'm surprised you can even walk."
"Mm. Tea." Crystal walked over to the kitchenette and stood there, squinting at the cupboards. "Tea?"
"I'll take care of it, cherie," Savoir said from behind her with a small chuckle in the back of his throat. "Sit down before you accidentally hurt yourself, s'il te plaît."
Crystal gave another yawn and simply fell over onto the soft padded mat that sectioned off Claire's play area. "So tired," she muttered, draping a foreleg over her face. "Too much happening too fast."
"You're telling me!" Horsey clapped her hooves against the little filly's. "Not that we're not happy to see you. Of course we are! You know that! It was just so sudden, and you were half-asleep on the doorstep that you didn't quite explain why you're here." There was a pause, the sound of clapping hooves ceasing. "Is everything all right?"
With a small moan, Crystal rolled over and peered up at her, offering a weak smile. "Yes. Everything's fine. I have an appointment today with a screenwriter."
Horsey's ears shot up. "A screenwriter? Why? What about? What's going on?"
Claire squeaked, gurgled, and babbled in a similar cadence to her mother's rapid series of questions.
"Here you are," Savoir said, setting a teacup and saucer by Crystal's head, then looking over at Horsey. "Mon coeur, give her a moment."
Crystal laughed breathlessly and levitated the cup to her lips. The warmth spread across her tongue, down her throat, and all the way to her hooves. "Mm, no, no, I'm all right. I just needed some tea." She sat upright and gave Horsey a smile. "There's an opportunity for the serial I'm currently writing to be made into a film. The screenwriter lives here in Ponyville, so I'm hoping to stay with you while I work with him."
"Of course! Absolutely!" Horsey grabbed Claire's hooves and wiggled them. "Do you hear that, Clairebear? Aunt Crystal is going to stay with us for a while!"
Savoir nodded, settling down beside his wife and filly. "Our home is your home, Mademoiselle. Toujours."
Looking at the small family, Crystal couldn't help but smile. Horsey had found happiness by working hard for what she wanted. Now, Crystal was going to do the same and hope for the best. "Thank you both. I didn't mean for it to be so short notice, but this is all moving so quickly for me, too."
Horsey shook her head, beaming brightly. "Not at all! I'm happy to see you as much as I can whenever I can. I don't regret moving here, but I do miss having you and Velvet around."
"Really?" Crystal feigned an attempt to hide her grin. "How can you find time to miss us between the restaurant, your little filly, and your loving husband?"
"Easily! I find time for it right between this—" Horsey placed a kiss on Claire's nose. "—this—" She kissed Savoir's cheek. "—and this." Leaning back, she fluttered her lashes at him. "Sav, could I take the morning off to help Crystal get right as rain for her meeting today?"
Savoir chuckled and nodded, the only appropriate answer anypony could give in a moment like that.
Horsey wiggled her ears, looking back at Crystal. "I knew Silver was a writer, but I didn't know he wrote for a film company. I wonder why he's living here, though, and not there?"
"Oh, well, from what Prince Majesty—"
"Prince?" Horsey squeaked with excitement.
Crystal quickly waved a dismissive hoof. "He's not a real prince. Apparently, that's his name: Prince. Prince Majesty. But, that aside, from what he said, Silver Script is—" She bit her lower lip. 'Talented but impossibly frivolous' was what Maj had said, but that certainly wasn't what she was going to repeat. "—very particular."
Savoir made a small sound, like a chuckle being smothered in his chest. "Silver Script? I know him. He is the brother of a friend of mine. Oui, I would agree that both of them are très particulier, indeed. But they are good ponies."
"When do you meet him?" Horsey asked, scooping Claire up into her embrace. "If it's not too soon, I was going to take Claire for a walk around town. She loves meeting everypony, and everypony certainly loves meeting her."
Crystal looked at the filly with a soft smile. She was almost six months old and already she radiated with beauty and charm. A pony would have to be truly cold-hearted to not melt at the sight of her, especially when she smiled.
"I'm supposed to meet him for lunch," Crystal said, rising to her hooves. "I'm all yours until then."
"Great! Do you hear that, Claire? Aren't you excited?" Horsey placed another kiss on Savoir's cheek before standing and shifting Claire to hold in the crook of one foreleg. "We'll be back before the lunch rush!"
"Have fun," Savoir called as they descended the stairs into the restaurant proper.
Crystal took the brief moment to look around while following behind Horsey. Haut-Savoir was an interesting combination of rustic and chic—the outdoor seating featured bundles of hay, brightly colored tables, and a casual atmosphere while the interior was full of sharp lines, deep colors, and classy furniture. Most ponies seemed to prefer the former for lunch and the latter for dinner.
"Little Miss Claire doesn't know it yet," Horsey said, inclining her head to look at Crystal, "but she has a date with Red next month. It'll be the first time they meet!"
"A date?" Crystal blinked, then grinned playfully. "How scandalous! He might as well be her uncle!"
Horsey giggled. "We'll see about that! She's going to be wearing the prettiest dress to his birthday party, and I'm sure they'll hit it off."
Birthday party? Crystal felt the color drain from her face. Red was turning two years old. Silent was going to miss this birthday. Life just kept moving forward without a care.
Quickly, Crystal shook her head and returned herself to the present. "You just want them to like each other so you and Velvet can be sisters."
Horsey gasped loudly. "You say that like it's a bad thing!" She stepped closer as they walked and lowered her voice to whisper, "Don't be jealous. Savoir and I are trying for a second foal." She smiled with playful mischief in her eyes. "That one can marry your future foal so the three of us can be sisters."
After a moment, the two of them broke into giggling laughter. Crystal lifted her head high, a warm sensation rolling over her in a gentle wave. Ponyville always seemed to have that effect; it was such a quiet, quaint place to live most of the time. Sure, there was the occasional ruckus with timberwolves or bunny stampedes or parasprites, but the day-to-day life was peaceful.
Crystal looked over the nearest building to see the silhouette of Canterlot jutting out from Alicorn Spire, its grandiose architecture invading the blue sky above. Canterlot was too cramped, too artificial, too secluded.
As they made their way through Ponyville, ponies would stop them to fawn over Claire. She was, currently, the youngest foal in town, which made her extra doted upon by everypony. Some would talk to Horsey like longtime friends—which they were. Horsey had a whole life that didn't involve Crystal. A whole life she'd been living for years without her. Friends and memories that Crystal wasn't a part of.
That was natural, of course, but watching the reality in action left a bittersweet feeling in its wake. Of course, when Crystal spotted a familiar face, that sentiment lifted right into pleasant surprise. "Dawn?"
The pale grey mare blinked a few times before beaming. "Oh! Mrs. Wishes! What a surprise!" She trotted over, pausing briefly to coo at little Claire before her attention returned to Crystal. "I was worried when you didn't show up to the last meeting. Is everything okay?" She ducked her head. "I know things got a little out of hoof when—"
Crystal raised a hoof to interrupt her, shaking her head. "It's fine. I'm fine. I'm just... taking a break, so to speak." She breathed in the clean air to try to clear the dread rumbling within her. "How was it? The meeting, that is?"
Dawn opened her mouth, but hedged on actually saying something—which said everything. The unspoken reality shot conflicting emotions through Crystal's chest like barbed arrows, but she gritted her teeth to force a smile.
"So then Golden managed it well," Crystal said, bobbing her head. "Good. She is accustomed to managing ponies in large numbers." Her ears flicked back. "I was foolish to think I could handle the job."
Horsey glanced between them with a furrowed brow but remained quiet while she bounced Claire to keep the foal occupied.
"Don't say that!" Dawn jolted forward to put her face in Crystal's. "It—It was just a tense situation. It wouldn't be like that all the time! I know you had good intentions. Other ponies in the group do, too. We were worried when you didn't show up. Bonnie and Bastion, they—" She nibbled on her lip. "They just have flour in their ears, that's all."
Crystal's nose twitched as she tried not to grin, swallowing a giggle. "Flour in their ears?"
"It's what my grandma calls it," Dawn said with returned sheepishness. "I'm spending more time on the farm these days. It keeps my mind off things. I forgot how... country my family is."
"That's good." Crystal nosed her cheek. "I hope things work out for the group. I'll likely be away for some time. An opportunity has come up with my career, and I want to pursue it."
Dawn smiled, her ears perking up. "Oh! Well, that's great, then! So you will come back? You're not leaving for good? I'm so relieved to hear that. Golden isn't the same as you."
What was this new feeling? Pride? Ego? Satisfaction? Crystal didn't know exactly what it was, but it twisted her with an unsatisfying pleasure. She knew it was wrong to smile, and yet she did anyway. "I appreciate the sentiment. Yes, I'll be back. I just want to follow this opportunity the best I can while I have it."
"Okay!" Dawn seemed to glow with delight. "I hope you tell us all about it when you do! I've got to get back to the farm, but I'm really glad I ran into you. I was so worried, but... I'm glad. I'm glad you won't be alone."
Crystal was sure she said some form of farewell before Dawn left, but her mind was in a momentary haze. Suddenly, the weight on her shoulders didn't feel so heavy; she wasn't a failure.
"What was that all about?" Horsey asked, sidling up to her. "Did something happen with your support group?"
"Yes, but—" Crystal flashed her a light smile and started in the direction of Haut-Savoir. "But it's all right now. I need some more time to sort out my feelings, but that certainly helped."
Horsey hummed thoughtfully, walking beside her. "I suppose I'm glad, then? Though I hope you know you can always talk to me. Sharing is caring, after all."
All it took was a tiny giggle from Horsey to prompt Crystal into following suit. Life in Ponyville was perfect. Perhaps the extended stay would be the most beneficial part about this whole film endeavor. Of course, having her writing turned into a moving picture was fairly high up there, too.
As they rounded the corner and Haut-Savoir came into view, she spied a purple-coated pegasus sitting outside the restaurant with a plethora of notebooks in front of him.
"That's him!" Horsey whispered conspiratorially despite their distance. "That's Silver Script. Your big moment is here! I'll take Claire inside and get to work while you get to work." Her tail swished to swat Crystal's rump and she shifted Claire to ride on her back before trotting ahead. "Good luck!"
Crystal shook her head, laughing softly, then took a deep breath. This was the first step. She had to do this right and not start off on a sour note. Be cordial, be polite, be kind. She repeated those words in her mind like a new mantra.
"Silver Script?" she asked, approaching the stallion.
He leaned back on the hay seating and looked at her with a cordial smile, tossing his silver bangs out of his eyes. "You must be Crystal Wishes! Very punctual… too punctual, but since you're here, won’t you sit down?"
Crystal returned the smile and sat across from him. A warm, gentle breeze caressed her face, as if to tell her she was finally in the right place. "How are you?"
"Well, I was doing just fine working on the screenplay for what might be Inner Harbor's best film to date." He raised a hoof to rub the spot between his eyes. "And then what do I get? Pulled off it to work on an incomplete serial. No offense, I'm sure it's great, but come on. Seriously! Maj does this to me all the time."
Her ears fell back. This wasn't exactly what she had expected for their first conversation. "Does what, exactly?"
Silver's hoof lifted to gesture broadly at the sky. "He's whimsical! He's spoiled! His rich daddy bought him a company because he wanted to play film producer. Whatever he wants, he just asks his father to make it happen, while ponies like you and me"—he gestured between them—"we have to actually do the work."
"Oh." Crystal idly poked at some of the loose hay beneath her, uncertain of the mixed feelings swirling in her chest. "Then why do you still work for him?"
"Why else?" He shrugged. "The pay is good, and since he usually picks up obscure projects, I'm never bored. But this goes beyond 'obscure'. He wants the script done in four weeks. Four weeks, and you don't even have the story done yet." Silver threw his hooves in the air. "It makes me want to quit right now!"
She fidgeted and looked down at the table. "It is a rather tricky situation, isn't it? I do know where the story goes, on the whole, so if you work on what's already written and I—"
He let out a long sigh. "Oh, you think it's that easy, don't you? Do you know nothing about screenwriting? I don't just look at a chapter and—poof!" He clapped his hooves. "A script is born. I need the whole thing! I need the vision. I need the direction. I have to take all of your pages and compress them!"
"Th-This is new to me, I'm afraid." Her ears folded back as she swallowed the urge to bite back at him. "Then, what if I tell you the plot? Will that work?"
"Can I just tell you the plot and you understand the whole story? No, you need to read it to understand it, right?" He shook his head, clicking his tongue. "Listen, Maj always makes outrageous requests. Normally, whenever he asks for four weeks, I say eight, and deliver six. That's how it works when I have something tangible to work with."
Crystal merely nodded. A buzzing sheepishness filled her chest, then constricted as a prickly defensiveness overtook it. His attitude was so flippant that it sent her nerves into a trembling state. This was the best screenwriter Prince Majesty had to offer? What was the rest of his company like? Would the whole process be like this?
Silver picked up his glass of lemonade and took a sip. "So, he wants four. I can maybe do six, but I think we're talking an actual eight. So I'll just tell him ten, and—"
He continued to prattle on, but Crystal stopped listening. She didn't want to hear any more. He didn't care about her wishes, her hopes, or her dreams. So far away from the big city, he had the freedom to do whatever he wanted. How could Maj control him or keep him on track from so far away?
Ponies needed somepony to take charge. Her mother's lesson, for better and for worse, held steadfast all of Crystal's life. It was a universal truth that seemed like an inescapable destiny, but perhaps that wasn't such a bad thing.
Crystal grabbed her trembling hoof, sending a glare its way before she lifted her head to look at Silver Script. A fire burned in her chest that chased away the chilling touch of self-doubt and apprehension. "Mr. Script, forgive me, but I'm not interested in dallying. My husband is at war, I've not heard from him in quite some time and likely won't for quite some more, and I won't even begin to list the rest of the stressors on my back. This opportunity is the first piece of driftwood that's come by that looks as if it could support my weight when I'm so dragged under by uncertainty and fear."
Her eyes narrowed. "I am prepared to do whatever it takes to work with you to make this happen. Will you meet the deadline or will you not?"
All sense of self seemed to leave the stallion, as he merely gawked at her for a while. Finally, he snapped his mouth shut and gave a stern, resolute nod.
"Good." Crystal levitated her quill, gesturing with one hoof for him to follow suit. "Then let's get started right away."