Chapter 3
Quickening her pace, Hope made her way out of the village center. Moments later she arrived back at her cottage. It was a cozy little house, with a small staircase leading up to the porch and front door and some large picture windows. There was also a small water wheel and a nice little garden out front and a detached basement which her father used as a workshop.
The soft tinkling melody of a music box drifted up through the closed wooden doors. Her father was already working, despite the early hour.
Carefully, so she wouldn't disturb him, Hope opened the door and stepped lightly down the stairs. Sunlight streamed in through a small window, illuminating Crystal Hoof who sat hunched over his workbench. Humming with the tune.
‘How does a moment last forever?
How can a story never die?
It is love we must hold onto
Never easy, but we try
Sometimes our happiness is captured
Somehow, a time and place stand still
Love lives on inside our hearts and always will.’
Bits and pieces of his projects were scattered about. Small knobs, tiny screws, half painted boxes, pieces of pottery, sculptures, wood carvings and delicate figures sat on various shelves and tables. There were some newer projects with vibrant shiny surfaces, while others had collected a very fine layer of dust just waiting for Crystal Hoof’s attention to turn back to them. But for now, he was focused exclusively on the project in front of him. A music box.
As Hope watched, he tinkered with one of the gears. The inside of the box was beautifully painted, depicting an artist in a small apartment from the Crystal Empire. The artist was painting his wife’s portrait. The mare was cradling a small filly and holding a small rattle resembling a rose in her aura.
Hope took a step farther into the room. Her father looked up distractedly at the sound. Seeing his daughter, he smiled. His eyes, the same kind blue eyes as Hope’s, were bright and focused. He had a soft blue coat with a greying blue mane pulled up and out of his eyes and he, like Hope, was a crystal pony and was still handsome in his older age.
“Oh, Hope, your back. Good, good.” He said turning back to the music box. “Did you have a good time in town?”
“I guess so, I got a new book to read.” Hope held up her book. “Then again, I’ve read it more than once.” She began smiling as he nodded absently. When he was working, he didn't see or hear anything else. Hope understood. She was the same way when entranced by a book.
“Hmm… yes.” Maurice said “Can you please hand me the-”
Before he could complete the request, Hope was levitating the screwdriver in front
of him.
“And the-”
This time she held out a small hammer for him.
“No, no” He shook his head “No, I don't need…” His voice trailed off as a spring popped off. “Well, yes, I guess I do.”
As he went back to tinkering, Hope sighed and asked “Papa, Do you think I’m… odd?”
“My daughter odd?” He scoffed “Now where’d you get an idea like that?
“I don't know, it’s just well, people talk.”
“They talk about me too” He said before singing.
‘No, I’m not odd, nor you
No family could be saner
Except one uncle who...well, maybe let that pass
In all you say or do
You couldn't make it plainer
You are your mother's daughter; therefore you are class’
Then Hope Sang
‘So I should just accept
I'm simply not like them?’
Crystal Hoof nodded.
‘They are the common herd
And you should take my word
You are unique: creme de la creme.
‘No matter what you do
I'm on your side
And if my point of view
Is somewhat misty-eyed
There's nothing clearer in my life
Than what I wish and feel for you
And that's a lot...
No matter what.’
Hope sang
‘No matter what they say
You make me proud
I love the funny way
You stand out from the crowd!’
Crystal Hoof then sang
‘It's my intention my invention
Shows the world out there one day
Just what we've got…’
Both sang together
‘No matter what’
Crystal Hoof
‘Now some may say all fathers just exaggerate,
Hope finished the line
‘That every daughter's great?’
Her father added
‘You are!’
Hope let out a light laugh.
‘And every daughter tends to say
Her father's tops’
Crystal nudged her gently
‘She pulls out all the stops,
To praise him’
Hope then added
‘And quite rightly!’
Crystal Hoof sang softly
‘No matter what the pain
We've come this far
I pray that you remain
Exactly as you are
This really is a case of father knowing best’
Hope added
‘And daughter too!’
He reassured her
‘You're never strange’
Hope sang
‘Don't ever change’
Then both came together and finished
‘You're all I've got
No matter what.’
The two embraced lovingly. Hope’s smile returned to a frown, She gave out a sad sisigh.
“What is it Hope?” Crystal Hoof asked tenderly.
She looked down sheepishly ears pinned down “I just wish I had a friend here, somepony else to talk to. Somepony else who understands me. Sompony who dosnt make fun of me or want to change me.”
Crystal Hoof lifted her chin to look her in the eyes “Hope, back in the Empire I knew a mare so smart and ahead of her time. Everypony talked about her behind her back. And you know what she said?”
Hope shook her head.
“She said those who talked behind her back were destined to stay there, forever. Never to catch up.” He paused to let the message sink in. “If they don’t want to try to understand you, then they aren't worth your time.”
Hope thought over his words as he returned to his music box. She glanced at the little figurines and the little painting inside. There was a larger version on the wall. It was the only picture of her mother she knew and the little filly, was her. She had memorised every bit of the painting. Every stroke, every blend of colours. From the biggest things to the smallest details, her mother’s cream coat and kind eyes that even in the painting, portrayed all the love of a mother for her child.
Hope had never met her mother and her father never openly talked about her. The only stories she knew were the tidbits he used as life lessons like the one he just shared.
To be honest she thought she had heard them all. But this was a new one.
She was usually content with the snippets but now and then she just wished to know more. And usually, she knew better than to ask. But the desire to know just something more gnawed at her.
“Papa, could you please tell me one more thing about her?” Hope asked. He glanced sadly at the music box. Before looking into her pleading eyes. With a sigh he gave into her request.
“Your mother, Amour, she was… fearless. Absolutely fearless. To know anymore, all you need to do is look into the mirror.”
Hope smiled as she watched him slip back into his artistic trance. She stood looking once again at his projects. She knew he had made them to give her a glimpse of the world beyond Ponyville. There were pots depicting traditions of the Crystal Empire, music boxes and sculptures of famous cities and landmarks. There were boxes resembling places like Nore Mane, Maris, Draconia, Canterlot, Romaneia, St. Poniesburg, so on and so forth. She longed to travel to these far off places and could just imagine what it would be like to set hoof outside of the small town.
She was pulled out of her fantasies when she heard her father gasp. Her head whipped around, he had pricked his hoof. Despite being an experienced artist his hoofs would become shaky now and then. It wasn't often though.
She stepped to his side. “Let me see.”
“Oh, Hope, it's alright, you needn't worry over me. I’ll be alright.” he protested softly “It’s merely a small scratch.”
Hope shook her head “It's not any trouble to me Papa. You can't work injured, even if it's just a scratch. Now let me see.”
She demanded gently, sitting next to him holding her hoof out for his.
Reluctantly he held his hoof out to her. He mumbled “I don't see why you are making such a big deal about this.”
Hope rolled her eyes “Hush, and let me concentrate.” she examined it. It was small but had been deep enough to draw blood. Closing her eyes she ignited her horn, the sky blue aura enveloping the appendage and his cut. Slowly it closed up till it was gone. “There, now it’s as if it never happened.”
“Thank you, Hope.” he said.
She smiled. At a young age Hope had taken a liking to healing spells. Most thought she shouldn't know such complex spells, some even told her such. That simply made her want to learn more. For years she has studied with Sunburst, he was the only one who accepted her desire to learn and was more than willing to help her. Though the spells were difficult, crystal ponies often held more magic than normal ponies making her spells all the more efficient. She couldn't heal large or excessive injuries all at once, though. Those took more time and energy.
When she was young she had gotten her cutie mark in healing, before anyone else her age, except Mathis, of course, who had to be the center of everything. No pony had really accepted her cutie mark except Sunburst and her father. The latter didn't want her using her talent to excess in fear she would strain herself. But in her opinion, she didn't get to practice enough.
Then with a click Crystal Hoof snapped the last gear in place, the soft melody tinkling, once again, through the air.
“Its beautifull.” she whispered looking once more at the portrait of her mother. “I think she would’ve loved it.”
But her father didn't hear it. He was once again lost in his world of art. So Hope silently turned and trotted back upstairs.
Hope loved her father very much, and she didn't want to cause him any more pain or heartache than he had already experienced in his life. But sometimes she wondered if there ever would be something to set her life on a different path than the one she and her father were so firmly planted on now.