//------------------------------//
// Glass Slipper - Dance - Part IV 
// Story: Crystal Note - Where life leads us 
// by TalkingToMyself 
//------------------------------//

Glass Slipper sat in her dark bedroom and waited. She had told her sisters she would go to bed early today and that she felt tired. They had simply accepted that and wished her a good night, but Crystal Note had watched her with a slight grin on her face before she did the same. Glass Slipper was almost sure that the mare expected something. She couldn't know, could she?

Just in case, she'd taken a shower like she always did before bed. After that, she spent quite some time in front of her mirror, deciding how to style her mane. When she heard Crystal Note and the twins come upstairs for their little bedtime routine, she turned off all the lights and tried to be as quiet as possible. With her ear pressed against the door, she heard Crystal Note sing a lullaby for her sisters. She heard doors closing and finally, hoofsteps going back downstairs.

That was half an hour ago. She hadn't heard anything since. It was almost time for her to leave if she wanted to be there on time. She could sneak down and check where her caretaker was, but if Crystal Note found her, she would see her fancy mane and saddlebags and get suspicious. It was a risk she had to take now. Worst case, she had to make up an excuse before she returned to her room.

Glass Slipper hesitated over this decision, but then her ears perked up. From downstairs, she heard the sound of a violin. She grinned and grabbed her saddlebags. As quietly as she could, she sneaked through the middle floor where her sisters were sleeping and halfway down the stairs. She stayed in the shadow of the wall and observed the room in front of her. As she expected, Crystal Note had squatted down on a cushion near the fireplace with her violin in her hoofs. Glass Slipper smirked and nodded to herself. She could easily sneak through the room from the stairs without even getting to close to the mare. She probably wouldn't hear her because of the music and Glass Slipper knew that Crystal Note always had her eyes closed when she practiced. This was the perfect opportunity.

The filly slipped through the living room and towards the front door. She kept glancing towards her caretaker a few times. However, she completely missed the smirk on Crystal Note's face. She also didn't notice one of the mare's eye peek open and look after her. As soon as she reached the small entry hall, Glass Slipper opted for speed and rushed outside as quietly as she could. She gave a little sigh of relief once the front door was closed again and headed down the street, deeper into the city.
Crystal Note giggled softly when she heard the front door fall into its lock. She put the violin back in its case, smiling when she remembered all the times she had snuck out through that door, although for different reasons. Crystal Note had overheard some of the youngsters talking about a secret party and quickly figured out Glass Slipper's unusual behaviour. She would have allowed her oldest to take part in case she would have asked, but of course, she knew sneaking out without permission just sounded way cooler to any teenager. No harm in playing along, as long as it would get Glass Slipper smiling.





The way to the hideout wasn't too long, so Glass Slipper arrived on time. Hideout wasn't really the right word either, it was simply an old storage building in the north of the city. But nopony lived nearby and not even the guards patrolled around these parts of the city as far as she knew, so it was perfect for a secret party. She slipped in through the unlocked side entrance and grinned to the half dozen ponies already present. Since it was all about secrecy, everypony was asked to bring along something to contribute. She joined in and helped set up the huge bowl of punch one of them had managed to bring, others would bring snacks later. Not that most of the teenage ponies would care too much about that, they met for togetherness and that tinge of excitement of doing something forbidden. One by one, the others trickled inside and in the end, about twenty teenage fillies and colts had gathered inside the large hall, chatting excited but also in hushed voices, just in case.

Glass Slipper and her best friend Sapphire smirked when they finally revealed what was hidden inside their saddlebags. Sapphire pulled out the old record player and quickly assembled the pieces together. Glass Slipper then showed off the records she had 'borrowed' from Crystal Note's collection for the night. She'd selected some tracks from outside of Equestria, the ones Haute Nuage had told her about. The other ponies gathered around as she fired up the first tune, chatting excited when they heard the lively and upbeat song. Sapphire and Glass Slipper just grinned at each other and then grabbed one of their friends each into the middle of the room, claiming it as the dance floor. The two friends had practiced some new moves and now they were eager to show off. Soon some more joined them, even if they couldn't match up with their well timed spins and fast steps.

Just as planed, they soon stood in the centre of attention, especially the attention of the colts from their class. Glass Slipper grinned when she noticed even Silver Sword from senior year was watching her and when she caught his eye, she winked to him just before she turned back to Sapphire. A new song started and quickly the two fillies fell into some well-synchronized dance steps. From the corner of her eyes, she watched as the older colt meandered through the small group towards her. Sapphire noticed as well and winked with a grin. Just before he reached them, the filly called out
"You know, I'm really thirsty suddenly. Let's get some punch!"
The two friends giggled and left the handsome colt alone in the middle of the dance floor, too perplexed to say anything. 

The fillies got a cup of punch each and while Sapphire drank hers quickly, Glass Slipper only nipped a little. It didn't taste very good, but then again she wasn't here for the food, but to dance and to get Silver Sword's attention. She ended up chatting with her friends from school while Sapphire got herself another cup of punch. The colts stood at the other side of the dance floor with drinks as well, trying to play it cool for now, even if Silver Sword kept throwing glances in her direction. Somepony put on another record and Glass Slipper went back to dancing, effortlessly swaying over the floor even as her friends dropped out after a while. She danced with a few other colts, but none of them made any advances to her, so she just enjoyed the music and the upbeat atmosphere around her, dancing away the hours. She heard loud laughter from Sapphire on the other side of the room when, finally, Silver Sword walked away from his group of friends of other seniors. He emptied his drink and went straight towards her. This time, Glass Slipper met his eyes and grinned, waiting for him to approach her.





Crystal Note noticed the fire had almost burnt down and closed her book with a soft yawn. It was quite late already and her warm bed was very compelling right now. The twins were sound asleep, she had checked on them earlier. She doused the last embers and made her way to the stairs in the soft light from her horn, when she heard some noise from outside. She recognized hoofsteps from a pony in a fast canter and in between, sobbing. As if that wasn't enough to fuel her worry, moments later the front door flew open and Glass Slipper stumbled inside. Her carefully styled mane was dishevelled and tears ran down her face as more desperate sobs burst out. Immediately, Crystal Note's worry turned into deep concern and she quickly walked towards the distraught filly. As soon as Glass Slipper saw her, she just howled desperately and rushed to her
"Mom!"
She ended up clinging on Crystal Note, her face buried against the mare's shoulder, as more sobs and tears broke free. Fortunately, hooves wrapped firmly around the teenager and held her. Glass Slipper pressed into Crystal Note's embrace and when the mare sat down, she gently pulled the filly down with her. Crystal Note said nothing and simply held the teenager as she cried out all her frustration and sorrow into her coat.
Glass Slipper felt the soothing touch of a hoof running down her mane and her crying slowed down into broken hitches
"Mom? Why do colts always have to be jerks?"
Crystal Note sighed deeply and gently pulled her filly close so she would come to rest against her
"What happened, honey?"
Glass Slipper still sniffled and tears ran into Crystal Note's coat. Between hiccups and sobs, the filly stuttered out words
"Silver Sword finally talked to me, but he was so pushy. I thought he was nice but he wasn't really interested in anything I said. He tried to grab me and pull me closer, but I didn't want that."
Another big sob was answered by a squeeze from Crystal Note, encouraging the teenager to go on
"I said I needed some air and went out. I thought he might come after me and apologize. Then I heard the others laugh and cheer inside, so I went back in."
The next series of sobs refused to pass and Glass Slipper's voice broke when she forced out more words, interrupted by hitches and cries
"He was in the middle of the room and everypony stood around him and watched as he pushed his tongue into another girl. He then stopped kissing and grinned at me. I got that he was just doing it to hurt me, and the others just laughed harder at me. I was so angry and screamed but they only laughed more."
"Oh, honey..."
Crystal Note's attempt to comfort the crying teenager ended quickly and Glass Slipper screamed out loud
"That's not the worst! I saw whom he kissed and it was Sapphire! They were making out just to hurt me and she had this goofy smile on her face! My best friend!"
Glass Slipper's voice broke fully apart as new tears burnt their way out and Crystal Note simply held her close, staying with her filly as she waited for the worst pain to fade
"I'm so sorry, dear. It's not fair of them to hurt you like that."
"When I saw her, I just..."
Glass Slipper didn't finish that sentence, but her right hoof twitched violently, giving Crystal Note an idea of what had happened next
"Oh, sweetheart..."

Glass Slipper kept on crying, only opening her eyes when she noticed a soft glow nearby. Crystal Note's horn emitted a soft turquoise light and she saw a blanket from the couch float over and wrap around her. Together with the hooves that held her so close, she felt protected and cared for. Her anger quickly burnt out now that she had her story shared and her sadness faded enough for her thoughts to return. She realized a couple of things. Crystal Note had seen her come from outside, so she new she'd snuck out without permission. She practically admitted that she had been at a party with the others. However, Crystal Note was not angry with her it seemed. She just held her and gently ran down her hoof through her mane. 

Crystal Note noticed the filly tense up in her hug and leaned down to her, gently nuzzling her cheek
"Come on, honey. Let's get you to bed. I know it hurts right now, but it will be better after some sleep, I promise. We can talk tomorrow."
Glass Slipper felt numb as she was guided up the stairs by the gentle mare, wrapped up in the blanket and with a reassuring hoof around her shoulders. Crystal Note walked her to the bed and helped her climb under the covers. She gently pulled the covers over her as she tucked her in. Glass Slipper said nothing but her cheeks were wet with tears again. A tissue floated over and dapped around her eyes, just as gentle and caring as every other touch from her caretaker. Glass Slipper turned her head to face the mare but shut her eyes. She was pained and sad, but she was also warm, tended and cared for. She felt desperate, but also brave. She took a risk. Her voice was quiet, tiny, shy and hopeful
"Thanks... Mom."
She felt a soft kiss on her forehead that washed her fears away. She heard a voice that soothed the pain
"Goodnight, my brave angel. Sleep well."

Crystal Note stayed next to the bed for a couple of more minutes, just to make sure Glass Slipper would fall asleep. She watched the teenager’s face relax after a while and her pained expression replaced by peaceful slumber.
She gently ran her hoof through the filly's mane once more before she left the bedroom. Something at the party had turned out seriously wrong and hurt Glass Slipper immensely, and so soon after the filly had decided to open up more to others again.
Young love, so beautiful yet so fragile.
 
Crystal Note let out a deep sigh as she realized she was now part of some big teenage drama. Glass Slipper needed someone she could depend on now, not only to get past the hurtful dejection from that colt, but also the possible betrayal of her best friend. The word ‘Mom’ was used more often recently, mostly as some running joke between the two of them. But tonight, Crystal Note had felt the difference. 
The first two times, Glass Slipper had been distressed and desperate, still the word ‘Mom’ slipped out. The last time just minutes ago, the teenager had been very conscious and genuine about how she called her.
Crystal Note's eyes and heart filled with affection and determination. Glass Slipper needed a Mom now, and by Celestia, she would do her all to fill that role.





Sleep eluded Crystal Note for the rest of the night. Usually, such a night she would use to clear her mind with a song or two, however she didn’t want to wake the fillies. Using a spell to block out the sound was out of question, she wanted to be there right away if Glass Slipper needed her tonight.

So, she ended up sitting in silence, at the kitchen table with a long forgotten cup of tea in front of her, next to a single candle. In her mind, she went over different scenarios on how to approach Glass Slipper, but she scolded herself for imagining things going worse.
Get a hold on yourself. Lyra and Bon Bon would be angry if they knew you were playing the ‘What if’-game again.
In the end, it would depend on how Glass Slipper would be doing once she woke up. Whatever needed to be done, they had to decide this together.

Rays of moonlight still filtered in through the windows when Crystal Note’s ears perked up. A quick glance at the clock told her it was about three in the morning, far too early to hear any voices from the street. She walked up to the window and even though she couldn’t see anypony outside, she picked up the voice of young mare, crying and sobbing.
Crystal Note went to the front door and was about to step outside and take a look, but as soon as she opened the door, she found a disturbed teenager sitting on her doorstep.

Even in the dim moonlight, Crystal Note quickly recognized the teenage filly
“Sapphire? By all stars, what are you doing here in the middle of the night?”
The filly flinched and jumped away from the voice. Crystal Note realized she had a harsh edge in her voice, but after everything Glass Slipper had told her, she found it difficult not to be angry at her daughter’s supposedly best friend
“Miss Crystal Note? I… did I wake you?”
Crystal Note used a glow of her horn to produce some more light. What she saw made her brows furrow into a frown.

The teenager’s coat was dark and her mane was shaggy, another visible sign of her distress beside the tear strains. Sapphire blinked a few times at the sudden light and seemed to have trouble focusing on the mare in front of her, with glassy and dull eyes. Crystal Note’s frown turned into a scowl when she leaned closer and noticed an unpleasant whiff coming from the young crystal pony
“Why are you here, Sapphire?”
The filly flinched again. Like most ponies, she only knew Crystal Note with a soft and kind voice, which made the angry sharpness in her voice even more effective now. Close to tears again and with her ears flopped down, Sapphire managed some words at least
“I didn’t know where else to go…”
“What about going home? Won’t your parents be worried?”
This time, a few tears made their way out along with a long sob
“They think I’m here for a sleepover. They don’t know about…”
She clamped her mouth shut and covered her face with her hooves, realizing what she almost had said. Crystal Note’s frown softened a tad, but her tone didn’t change
“I know about that little party of yours. I also know what happened tonight.”

Sapphire looked up at the mare and Crystal Note could almost see how the gears started turning as the filly tried to force her fuzzy mind into working. A sharp gasp from Sapphire made clear she only now remembered what had actually happened
“I… oh my gosh… how could I…?”
Crystal Note blew out her breath through her nose in an angry snort but she swallowed down her retort when Sapphire winced and held her head
“I feel dizzy…”
The mare sighed deeply. She could take Sapphire home and confront her parents in the middle of the night. It would end in many questions and angry words, something the filly wouldn’t take too well in her current state. She could also give the teenager refuge for the night at least, that would give her some time to recover but could end up in a confrontation with Glass Slipper in the morning.

Another sharp wince from the teenage filly decided things for her. She reached out for Sapphire’s hoof and gently pulled her towards the door
“Come on, Sapphire. Sitting around in the cold won’t help you with your headache.”
The filly put up no resistance at all and followed Crystal Note in a daze. She slumped down on a soft cushion and clenched her eyes shut at the sudden brightness. Moved by turquoise magic, logs of wood floated to the fireplace, and then the crystal unicorn leaned down and directed her glowing horn at them. With a quick flare, a flickering fire started to fill the room with light and warmth.
Sapphire stared into the flames, but her eyes only found focus again when Crystal Note returned and pushed a mug into her hooves
“Drink this, Sapphire. It will help you.”
Unable and unwilling to think, Sapphire raised the mug to take a gulp of the hot liquid but sputtered out most of the strong, bitter tea again
“I feel woozy.”
Crystal Note snorted again
“That’s what happens when you drink too much alcohol, Sapphire, especially somepony as young as you. What were you thinking?”

The blank stare the teenager directed towards her only confirmed Crystal Note’s first suspicion, as did the half sentence she mumbled out
“But I only had some punch…”
With a far gentler sigh, Crystal Note took the seat next to Sapphire
“I believe somepony might have spiked your punch, then. I’ve been enough in bars to recognize the scent of liquor, you know. Let me guess, you felt more easy-going all night long and talked a lot without thinking?”
Sapphire nodded and blushed deep red, her head sunk down into her forehooves
“Oh my gosh.”
Crystal Note, despite her initial determination, couldn’t help but feel at least sympathetic with the oblivious filly
“Try finishing your tea, Sapphire.”

The filly nodded, still dazed from the night before, and drank the bitter liquid as told. Once Crystal Note was sure the tea would stay in, she started asking some questions
“Tell me what happened at the party.”
The filly turned her head, getting more insecure as she sobered up
“I thought you knew what happened?”
“Still, I want to hear your side of the story as well.”
She owed Sapphire at least that much. Clearly, things weren’t as simple and straightforward as thought, maybe there was still the chance to sort things out
“We were at the old warehouse up north. Slipper and I put on some records and we showed off some dance moves, so the senior colts would notice us. Um, Glass Slipper mostly.”
Sapphire blushed, but Crystal Note simply nodded for her to go on. She could focus on details later, right now she needed to get to the bottom of this
“So, um, there was this one colt, Silver Sword. He was looking at us and when he made his move, we um…”

The filly bit her lower lip and despite the severity of the situation, Crystal Note smirked a little
“You made him work for your attention.”
Sapphire blushed even more but nodded shyly
“Yeah… so we went to get some punch and… we talked, we danced a lot… I lost Slipper after a while and talked to somepony else and got some more punch… and then Silver Sword suddenly kissed me. I don’t know why.”

Crystal Note sighed and rolled her eyes. This was really turning into a teenage drama far too quickly
“Glass Slipper saw you and she got angry.”
“Yeah. She hit him. She yelled at me and I thought she was going to punch me, too. I wanted to run home, but I couldn’t. My parents would ground me for life if they found out.”
The teenage filly’s eyes opened wide and she stared at Crystal Note
“You’re not going to tell them, right? If they find out…”
“Sapphire, they are your parents. I’m sure if you…”
“You know them! Dad’s going to be so angry and Mom… they’re not like you at all!”

Before Crystal Note could intervene, the filly started crying into the pillow she sat on. Apparently, they had been louder that Crystal Note had intended, because she heard hoofsteps from upstairs. She climbed up the stairs to check and met a very sleepy filly halfway
“Mommy? What’s going on?”
Crystal Note smiled gently as Sweetie Tooth rubbed her tired eyes and reached out for a calming hug
“It’s nothing, Sweetie. I’m sorry we woke you up. You should go back to sleep, Munchkin.”
Sweetie Tooth leaned into the hug and yawned, her eyes already drooping again. With a smile, Crystal Note picked up the sleepy filly with a gentle levitation spell, humming a soothing melody for her as she carried her back to her bed.
Velvet Heart was still fast asleep and Sweetie Tooth fell asleep even before Crystal Note had her tucked in again. After a soft kiss on their foreheads, Crystal Note quietly left the bedroom and closed the door behind her.

When she arrived downstairs again, Sapphire had cried herself to sleep it seemed. Crystal Note found a spare blanket to cover the slumbering filly. The clock told her that the sun would rise in about two hours, too soon to go to bed but maybe enough for a little nap at least. The mare yawned and sprawled out on the family couch. Quickly overwhelmed by exhaustion, she closed her eyes and was out within seconds.





Somewhat refreshed, Crystal Note blinked awake in the first rays of sunlight. She stretched her back and legs before she checked on Sapphire. The teenage filly was still asleep, but she could tell it was a restless slumber. The blanket had been tossed off at some point and the way the filly had twisted on the cushion looked painful.

Crystal Note made her way to the kitchen and prepared some breakfast for the fillies. Not a minute too soon as shortly after, Velvet Heart sneaked into the room, followed by her twin sister. Both fillies were whispering now that they had seen their sister’s friend sleeping in front of the fireplace
“Did something happen last night?”
The mare nodded and sighed a little
“It’s nothing you should worry about, dear. Come on, let’s eat something first.”
The fillies looked at each other, but the tone in their caretaker’s voice told them better not to ask too many questions right now, so they quietly ate their meal while Crystal Note had a cup of tea. 
Once they were finished, Crystal Note pulled them into a gentle hug and whispered
“I know this sounds odd, but your sister and her friend need some time to talk things out right now. Do you think you could find something to do outside for a while?”
The twins shared another glance and then nodded in unison
“Sure. We’ll go visit Auntie Pinky and Flurry Heart in the palace.”
Crystal Note smiled and squeezed them gently in her hug. Before she released them with a kiss on the top of their heads, she whispered softly
“Thank you my little angels. I’m sure we’ll get everything sorted out soon. You don’t worry and have some fun today, alright?”
The fillies nuzzled against Crystal Note for a moment before they dashed off. The mare could hear their laughter as they ran down the street. Then her thoughts returned to the two teenagers who were still in the house and her smile turned into a frown.

Sapphire stirred when Crystal Note returned into the living room and the mare waited for her to wake up fully. She was still dishevelled from mane to tail, but her eyes were clear again. She rubbed her temples to clear away the remains of her headache it seemed.
Crystal Note waited for her to notice her and spoke calmly when the filly finally faced her with blushed cheeks
“Are you feeling better, Sapphire?”
“Y-yes. Thank you, Miss Crystal Note.”
The mare nodded and didn’t lose any time to get to the point
“You need to tell your parents what happened last night, Sapphire. They’ll find out anyways after all this commotion you all caused.”
Sapphire clenched her eyes shut and looked down with a slight shake of her head
“But they won’t understand. They’ll punish me.”
“Sapphire, you lied to them, you sneaked into a warehouse without permission and you got drunk because you didn’t pay attention. Of course they’ll be mad and punish you.”
The filly’s head sank down even further and her ears pressed against her mane in fear
“I didn’t mean to.”
“That doesn’t change it. You’re old enough to deal with the consequences when you mess up, and believe me you all messed up last night. Best thing you can do now is show your parents you learned from your mistake and take their punishment with stride. You need to show them that you won’t abuse their trust again.”
Sapphire’s ears vanished into her mane, but she slowly nodded, even if a sniffle made it out. Crystal Note knew her message had gotten through, but unfortunately for the filly, she wasn’t finished yet
“Trust is something that breaks easily, Sapphire. And it takes time and effort to repair once it’s broken.”

Sapphire now had tears running down her cheeks, telling Crystal Note that she understood. Her voice nearly broke as she sobbed out an apology
“I never wanted to kiss him and I never meant to hurt Glass Slipper. Do you think she will ever forgive me?”
As much as Crystal Note wanted to console the filly right now, she tried to stay calm and neutral
“I don’t know. All I can do is talk to her and tell her what you told me. It’s her choice if she will believe you or not.”
Sapphire nodded and got up on her hooves. She knew this was the most she could hope for, so she gently clung on the mare who had taken her in for the night to express her gratitude
“Thank you, Miss Crystal Note.”
The mare didn’t return the hug, but she ran her hoof down the filly’s back in a hopefully calming way
“You should best go home now, Sapphire.”
She felt the filly nod against her neck and pull away. Sapphire tried for a grateful smile, but a harsh yell had her flinch and jump backwards
“YOU! What are you doing here?”

From the bottom of the stairs, Glass Slipper glared at them with gritting teeth and rage in her eyes. Sapphire took a hesitant step towards her
“Slipper, I…”
“GO AWAY! DON’T EVER COME BACK HERE! I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN AS LONG AS I LIVE!”
Glass Slipper’s voice rose in volume and broke apart into a high-pitched shriek in the end. Sapphire turned around and ran for the door, trying her hardest not to cry. When Glass Slipper attempted to go after her, Crystal Note stepped in between the fillies
“Glass Slipper! That’s enough.”

All her rage instantly targeted the mare
“Why did you even let her in? Aren’t you supposed to be on my side?”
Crystal Note endured the teenager’s glare, her voice was soft and caring as she replied
“Of course I’m on your side, Glass Slipper. I’m your mom, I’ll always be on your side no matter what.”
At those words, Glass Slipper shivered as if she’d been splashed with a bucket of ice water and her rage faded quickly turned into utter confusion
“I… last night, you… you mean it?”
Crystal Note gently pulled Glass Slipper into a hug. The shivering stopped and the filly pressed gently into the caring touch. No matter how angry she was, right now all she felt was relief. What had started on a whim now felt right and real. For a moment, she simply let Crystal Note’s presence wash over her as the crystal unicorn held her close with genuine care and affection.
Glass Slipper nuzzled softly against her mother’s neck and Crystal Note slowly released her. Her turquoise eyes searched and found the filly’s and shone with warmth
“Better?”
“Uh-huh. Thanks, Mom.”
They both smiled together, the word still felt a little awkward for Glass Slipper, but the feelings behind it did not.

Glass Slipper took a deep breath and finally asked
“Why was she here?”
Crystal Note sighed and quickly summed up what had happened during the night. When Glass Slipper only frowned, she added calmly
“I don’t think she wanted to set you up, Darling. She’s sorry for what she did.”
“So I should just forgive her? No way. She messed up big time last night.”
Crystal Note sat down when the teenage filly started to get angry again and asked with a neutral tone
“Did you drink any punch last night?”
“Huh? Um, half a cup maybe. It tasted weird.”
“Did you know somepony put something in it?”
“No. I really didn’t know. You got to believe me!”
Crystal Note nodded, clearly relieved
“I do, Glass Slipper. It’s no excuse for what she did, but some ponies act weird when they drink alcohol. Maybe she didn’t realize what was happening?”
“Hard not to notice somepony kissing you! She could have stopped. She should have stopped! She messed up everything.”

Crystal Note smirked in a way that sent an uneasy chill down Glass Slipper’s neck
“What did you do while Sapphire was by herself?”
“Nothing. I was just dancing with the others.”
“Dancing, I see. Was it fun, dancing?”
The filly nodded hesitantly and Crystal Note got up on her hooves again
“Tell me, Glass Slipper, if I was to go to the study right now, would there be something missing perhaps?”
Glass Slipper’s face blushed as red as a beet and her ears flopped down, but after half a minute she nodded
“Anything you’d like to tell me, dear?
“I… we… I borrowed some of your records for the party. And your record player. I’m sorry.”
Crystal Note raised a brow
"Funny, I don't remember you telling me about that."
Glass Slipper closed her eyes ashamed and whispered
"I didn't. I'm sorry."

The filly didn't dare to look up until she felt a soft touch on the top of your head. Crystal Note was standing in front of her with that caring smile
"It's okay, Glass Slipper. Everypony can mess up sometimes. I forgive you."
Glass Slipper returned the smile shyly and obviously relieved. Following a sudden thought, she leaned in for a hug and whispered
"Thanks, Mom."
Just like she hoped, Crystal Note put her hooves around the filly and held her close
“I’ll always forgive you, and I’m always on your side.”
Glass Slipper nodded and sat up again to face the inevitable lecture
“But as your mother, I want to make sure you don’t do something you’ll regret later on. Sapphire and you have been friends for so long now, I think it’d be terrible to give up on it over one misstep that happened. Even if it was a rather hurtful one.”
The teenager sighed frustrated
“I’ll think about it.”
Crystal Note fixed her with a stern glance and Glass Slipper bit her lip
“I’ll think really hard about it. And I promise I’ll at least talk to her.”
When the sternness didn’t fade, she also added with a small voice
“And I’ll apologize for yelling at her.”
“Thank you, Glass Slipper.”

The mare and filly smiled, but Glass Slipper decided to push her luck a little too far
“So, when you say you’ll always forgive me, does that mean…?”
“That you’re getting away scot-free? Not a chance, Glass Slipper.”
“But Mom!”
Crystal Note couldn’t help but laugh at Glass Slipper’s perfect whiny tone, something only teenagers seemed to pull out right, even though it didn’t help much usually
“You took my things and you sneaked out of the house at night without permission. Nothing I can’t forgive. However, you hit a colt. I don’t care if he deserved it or not, I won’t tolerate that kind of behaviour.”
Glass Slipper sighed again and kept her head low
“I guess I’ll be doing dishes?”
“I think two months will be enough. You will also volunteer to clean up the warehouse. This will give you the chance to recover the records you’ve borrowed. If any of them are gone or broken, I expect you to replace them, from your allowance.”
“But that’s not fair! I wasn’t the only one at the party so why should I be the only one who cleans up and… wait, I get an allowance?”
Crystal Note, despite a sleepless night and a chaotic morning, broke into laughter
“We’ll talk about it, Glass Slipper. As for fair or not, I’m sure you won’t be the only one who will face some punishment. For a secret party, you and your friends weren’t very subtle.”
Glass Slipper opened her mouth to protest, but in the end she just sighed, realizing nothing she said could change Crystal Note’s mind right now
“Fine. I’ll do it, Mom.”

Both of them smiled at the absurdity of the situation, even though in the end it didn’t all turn out bad. Crystal Note hid a giggle behind her hoof, clearly enjoying her new title from Glass Slipper. The teenager lost no time to remind the mare of the responsibilities that came with it
“Mom? Do you think Silver Sword only talked to me because he was drunk too, or maybe…?”
Crystal Note sighed and gently hugged her daughter
“I don’t know, dear. We’ll have to wait and see.”
The filly frowned at the dodgy answer she got, but she followed the mare as she nudged her towards the kitchen
“Come now, let’s have some breakfast before you worry even more.”
They found their places at the table and ate quietly. While Glass Slipper still mulled over what happened last night, Crystal Note relished in the fact that the drama had been kept at a minimum.

However, the stillness didn’t last very long. They had just finished eating when a series of loud knocks drew their attention to the front door.
Glass Slipper stayed behind the kitchen door as Crystal Note went to check on it. The mare barely suppressed a deep sigh as act three of her teenage drama was about to start.

On her doorstep, she found an angry looking mare with a nearly adult colt cowering behind her. While the mare instantly shot burning glares at Crystal Note, the colt’s eyes stayed fixed on the ground. Still, Crystal Note could see the same glassiness she’d seen in Sapphire’s eyes earlier. Also, his right eye was red and swollen, starting to turn into a black eye, revealing him as Silver Sword. Apparently, Glass Slipper carried a mean hook if angry enough.

Taking a deep calming breath, Crystal Note focused on the mare and indicated a bow with her head
“Silver Sterling, what brings you here this early?”
“Don’t try to fool me, Crystal Note. You know exactly why I’m here.”
She glanced at the colt before her turquoise eyes met Silver Sterling’s steel blue ones again
“I suppose it has to do with the party our youngsters had last night.”
“Party! More like a forceful gathering of violence, with your fosterling as one of the ringleaders!”
Crystal Note didn’t even flinch as Silver Sterling’s voice rose in volume, but her brow furrowed into a frown
“Excuse me?”
“I will most definitely not! Your fosterling riled up innocent teenagers, including my son, into abandoning their homes and indulging into foreign music and alcohol! Glass Slipper has practically poisoned her entire class as well as hurt Silver Sword.”
The colt flinched visibly, but his mother couldn’t see it as she still busy in her attempts to melt Crystal Note with her glare.

Crystal Note countered the mare’s rage with practiced calmness, even though the way Silver Sterling talked about her daughter was making her angry. In a collected voice, she tried to diffuse those accusations
“That’s not what I heard, Silver Sterling. As far as I know, the kids simply got together for some dancing and music, nothing more.”
“Glass Slipper is a well-known troublemaker in school and now she pulled them all down a dangerous path. I won’t accept this and there will be consequences.”
Crystal Note’s patience on the mare ran out fast and there was a sharp edge in her voice
“I’ve not heard a single complaint from any of her teachers. Whatever your son told you is not true.”
“Are you calling my son a liar?”

Crystal Note took a single step forward, now muzzle to muzzle with Silver Sterling
“My daughter has not lied to me a single time yet. She made some mistakes, but she always stood up for each of them. I have no reason to doubt any of her words.”
The mare flinched and backed away from Crystal Note, her eyes glancing to Crystal Note’s horn for a moment
“Well, your daughter” she nearly spat out the word, “is a bad influence for my son as well as all the other students. I guess she learned this from you quite well, with all your dabbling in magic and foreigners.”
Crystal Note noticed the colt scooting away from his mother as the mare’s anger turned into raging fury. She also heard the creak of the door behind her, telling her that Glass Slipper was listening in
“Insult me as much as you like, Silver Sterling, but I ask you to stop speaking ill of Glass Slipper this instant. If all you do is badmouthing my daughter, this conversation is over.”
Again, both the mare and her colt flinched under Crystal Note’s sharp voice. Their eyes met and Crystal Note’s expression softened as she tried to reconcile with Silver Sterling
“Look, there’s been more than one misstep during this party last night. Instead of pointing hooves at each other, shouldn’t we find out how we can avoid things like this in the future?”

Silver Sword looked up at his mother pleadingly, but Silver Sterling didn’t move an inch
“No, you’re not going to hide this under the rug, Crystal Note. Your fosterling hit my son and others saw it too. There will be consequences.”
Crystal Note could almost feel Glass Slipper shiver in her hiding spot behind the door. Her expression hardened once more as both angry mothers glared at each other
“And for that, she will face the consequences. My consequences, Silver Sterling. I won’t let you or anypony else take out their anger on my daughter.”

There was an uncompromising silence as neither of the mares backed away even an inch. Glass Slipper almost cried as she listened how Crystal Note defended her like that. She knew the mare was angry at her, but still she stood her ground to protect her filly, like a real Mom. Glass Slipper still felt guilty for what had happened, but even the tiniest doubts on Crystal Note blew over as the mare defended her in such a way.

Silver Sword on the other hoof struggled far more to hide how uncomfortable he felt watching his mother unleash on the other mare. His fuzzy mind picked up how deep he’d buried himself in trouble this time and he was grateful his mother hadn’t picked up on it yet.  
Unfortunately, Crystal Note noticed the colt and his guilt-driven behaviour. She returned to the calm voice she used earlier, but this time it made shivers run down the colt’s back as she addressed his mother
“Do you know why my daughter hit him? Did he tell you what happened before?”
“Before?”
Finally, Silver Sterling turned around to look at the near-adult colt. She noticed his crouched down stance and the way he avoided looking at her. Like any good mother, she could easily tell her son was hiding something from her
“Silver Sword? What did you do?”
The mare’s voice could easily cut glass and the nervous colt didn’t stand any chance. Under the stern glares from both mares, he crumbled
“I tried to make her jealous. She was playing coy and I wanted payback, so when I saw her friend was drunk, I kissed her instead and made sure she’d see me.”

For a moment, there was absolute silence. Faster than Crystal Note could even blink, Silver Sterling had grabbed her son’s ear and pulled so hard the colt had to almost rear up
“Ow! Mum!”
“Don’t ‘Mum’ me! I’ve never been so ashamed of you in my whole life! How could you take advantage of a filly and then lie to me? Worse, how could you use another pony as a scapegoat? Did you know about the liquor in the punch?”
Silver Sword looked away and yelped in pain as his mother yanked his ear again
“Did you know about it?”
“Yes! Some of the guys smuggled it out of their houses! You’re hurting me, Mum.”
Silver Sterling released his ear and the colt stumbled down. Before he could get up, Silver Sterling was looming over him with the mother of all glares
“You go home right now and tell your father about this. And you better not lie or leave anything out, or you won’t see the sunlight again until your little brother has graduated.”

Silver Sword shrunk with each word and stumbled back on his hooves to do just as his mother had told him. Silver Sterling watched her son run down the street, but as soon as he was out of sight, her glare faded and she all but collapsed on the ground.
With her head held low, she turned back to Crystal Note, ashamed and with an apology in her eyes
“Crystal Note, I’m sorry for unloading on you is such a way and…”
The crystal unicorn just waved her hoof, dismissing any further words with a soft smile
“Apology accepted. And I meant what I said earlier. There’s no excuse for hitting somepony, under no circumstances. Glass Slipper will face the consequences for her actions.”
Silver Sterling nodded. She was aware Crystal Note gave her the chance to back out with some dignity at least, and she was not too proud to accept this
“I trust your word on it. And I will make sure my son learns that this is not the way to treat other ponies.”

The two mothers shared a long look that ended in a nod. Crystal Note took a deep, cleansing breath and her stance changed from aggressive back to calm in and instant
“Don’t be too harsh on your son, Silver Sterling. They are all still teenagers after all. I did my fair share of stupid things when I was that age. I think what we did might have been worse.”
Silver Sterling, with her eyes still low, let out a bitter laugh
“We taught we were so clever back then and had all the right reason. It’s a miracle we never got into more trouble for it.”
“I hear that.”
They giggled softly and Silver Sterling got up again
“At least they didn’t try to break into the palace and steal food. Compared to that, a party is harmless. That doesn’t mean I’ll go easy on Silver Sword for what he did.”
Crystal Note’s smile turned into a smirk and she nodded
“Glass Slipper will have plenty of time to think about what she did while she cleans up the warehouse.”
Silver Sterling’s lips curled into a grin
“Oh, I think I know a few colts and fillies who would love to join her on that. In fact, I know they will.”
Both mares chuckled together and finally, the lingering tension disappeared.

Silver Sterling glanced past Crystal Note into the house and caught a glimpse of a door moving shut
“Crystal Note? Could you tell Glass Slipper… please tell your daughter I’m sorry for what Silver Sword did. And if she ever needs something, anything at all, she can come to me anytime.”
Crystal Note smiled softly, she knew Glass Slipper would most likely not do that, but she would not lessen Silver Sterling’s effort of reconciliation
“Thank you for your generous offer, Silver Sterling. I’ll let my daughter know right away.”
The mare bowed her head and got ready to leave
“Thank you, Crystal Note. And again, I apologize for all those things I said in anger.”
Crystal Note nodded and waved as the mare turned to head down the street.

With a quiet sigh of relief, Crystal Note closed the front door behind her. That could have gone better, but also a lot worse.
As soon as the door was closed, the kitchen door flew open and Glass Slipper rushed towards her. Crystal Note’s worry flared up again, but vanished as soon as Glass Slipper clung on her in a tight hug. She didn’t look scared or sad, instead a grateful smile was on her face even if there were some tears in her eyes.
Crystal Note held her daughter close until the filly was ready to let go again. They smiled at each other despite all the mess that was still to be solved. They knew they could handle it together, as a family.