//------------------------------// // Chapter 9: The Seamstress, the Apprentice, and the Cake. (Edits HorseWordFan) // Story: Colonel Hooves and the Empire of Crystal // by KarmaSentinal //------------------------------// When Cadence suggested I visit a tailor the day after Hearth’s Warming, I was worried she had heard of the uniform I wore for Topaz the prior night. This was never brought up, and finding myself in need of a tailor for the next phase of my recruitment plan took the recommendation with much appreciation.  With Topaz’s agreement to the plan motivating me further, we set out to look for this tailor. “Are you sure this is the right place? Did we pass it?”  “I’m most certain we haven’t passed the tailor, Cadence's instructions specifically stated when it seemed we passed the store, we’re to continue for another block.”  “That sounds really specific, Idol. Did she really write that part down?” I nodded and offered the piece of parchment to Topaz. “Wow, she really did.” “To say, let alone admit this leaves a foul taste, but Cady isn’t known for providing the clearest instructions. Her sense of direction is as simple as pointing, and telling a pony to go straight until reaching the streetlamp before turning left.”  “I don’t understand, which lamp would you be talking about?” Topaz asked while continually checking the directions in the off chance we had actually missed the store.  “That’s the very question the guard and castle staff asked when the pony failed to show up for work the next day. I’ve since confirmed he is well, and eventually found where he needed to go, but some guards still place bets on which city he ended up in.” “Ahhh, ok.” Our conversation ended after that, as we focused our efforts into locating this mysterious tailor that came highly recommended, and even endorsed by our friend. After following the directions to the final word, and bore no fruit for our efforts, we switched to wandering around the surrounding blocks in the hopes of finding this mysterious tailor.  We gave up, and reverted to retracing our hoofsteps shortly after.  By the third pass, we had nearly conceded defeat when Topaz decided to ask one of the crystal ponies for directions, and by Celestia’s grace we were saved. The store we had sought was nestled in between a row of residential buildings with a single sign above the door depicting a spool of thread and needle.  For a shop so highly recommended by royalty to appear bland and simple left me feeling unsure, and partly hoping the pony’s directions were wrong as well. But with no further leads to guide us, and two sets of directions suggesting this was the famed tailor we were looking for proceeded to enter the building.  What struck me when opening the front door was the addition of a short hallway, where a sign read ‘Open’  hung on the wall next to a thin curtain being used to mask our vision of the show floor. With no reason to doubt the sign, Topaz and I took the invitation, and drew the curtain back.  Ponynequins adorned in different fashions- dresses being predominant occupied the entirety of the showfloor, creating a clear division between the casual window shopper from the serious clients using the space in the back.    Two sets of large, alicorn sized mirrors occupied the left and right walls with bolts of linen, silk, wool and cotton in the traditional colors of yellows and whites the upper caste cherished. The mirrors on the left wall displayed the more common violets and purples that marked the pillars of the common ponies, but here the obvious gap in clientele was noticeable with its modest 6 bolts of cotton and wool when compared to the nearly triple selection on the right wall.  A crystal and an earth pony suddenly appeared from behind a curtain Topaz and myself hadn’t noticed, and the two of us reacted appropriately- by voicing our startled state.  “AHHH!” Topaz shriked from their appearance while I found myself reacting, and moving slightly forward to put myself between them and Topaz.  Our startledness amused the crystal pony more so than the earth pony, but not by a great margin.  “Now, now no need for the show! My name is Silk String, and this is my assistant and apprentice, Spinel.” The mare gestured to the young yearling to her left, making the Equestrian earth pony bow her head out of politeness.  “Greetings, and welcome esteemed guests of the crown.”  The orange red mare greeted us, trying desperately not to remove the strand of mane that hung down enough to tickle the ends of her muzzle. This is one of the reasons why a standard mane length, or approved style is enforced within the guard to avoid the needless issue in front of me. I was about to point this suggestion out when her master stepped forward, putting herself in front of the young mare as she quickly ushered us further into the establishment.  “Please! Please! Don’t let us keep you fine guests waiting, let me help you. '' The mare emphasized those two words as we were nearly corralled to the center of the floor, between four ponynequins. The crystal mare looked as vibrant and glossy as any other crystal pony, but strongly resembled more Equestrian in her features, with her slim frame and long mane being the predominant features. The gloss of her near crystal coat was cloudy from the fur trapped under( or in) the crystalized coating that covered her from ear tip to hoof; manes have a natural element that allows the strands of hair to remain mostly soft and clean, but Silk String’s mane looked even more so than normal.  With every movement, the long, and delicate looking strands would gently touch the base of her neck with the appearance they were about to break. Unlike Topaz's mane that found joy moving in distinct  lumps, Silk’s moved like an ocean tide brushing against the sands of a beach before pulling back to repeat the process a few seconds later.  I looked to Topaz to see if she noticed the strange and unusual mane consistency our host had, but found myself alone with my thoughts as Topaz and Silk String conversed without me. They were creating small talk as they broke the ice before approaching the purpose of our visit, leaving me and the young assistant currently not engaged in the conversation- I decided to correct that. “Miss. String is rather.. unique.” The comment earned me a tilt of the earth mare’s head who then took a glance at her master and Topaz chatting. The apprentice, Spinel, looked to me and nodded as she motioned for me to move closer to her, and I did. “Silk String is renowned for her talents in the art of the cloth even before Sombra’s rise, and is partially why she was all but spared his wrath.”  “Truly?” I whispered back, intrigued by this information, not having heard much of the mad king than he was the previous ruler that had enslaved the citizens for some unknown purpose. Not even Shining or Cadence have been forthcoming with this pony, citing to ‘leave it in the past, and move on’. We watched Topaz and Silk trot off toward the wall on the right, and we followed some length behind to stand out of the mirror’s path. She whispered once more. “Please Colonel, don’t repeat this…” her knowledge of my rank surprised me, but I didn’t have time to ask how she knew me when the reason for the whispering became known. “ ...it was these skills that fabricated his very cape, and her beauty that spared her a life in chains.” If true, then this information is tragic in a deeper meaning than simply being spared a fate like the rest of her fellow ponies-knowing they suffered while you did not. But how did this Equestrian mare presumably know so much of her master’s past, and why was she sharing this extremely classified information with me, a pony who quite literally walked off the street?   “Spinel dear, quickly!”  We looked over to the mirror where Silk String was currently taking measurements of Topaz’s back, adjusting for wing placement as she called for her assistant who nodded quickly.  “Coming Seamstress!” the violet pink mare replied before rushing to her master’s aid, and began taking measurements of Topaz’s left side.  With nothing else to do but wait and ponder some troubling thoughts of the Empire’s past, I already knew today’s visit will be a long one.  “Madam, please! You must hold still for the measurements to be accurate!”  “No no, I can fix it! I just need to adjust it here…”  This conversation went back and forth for the last hour between Topaz and the seamstress; fighting for control over the appropriate skirt length, with the pegasus opting for a longer skirt and the crystal mare wanting a ‘flank hugging’ length. To better show off the Crystal Heart’s blessings as Silk String put it.    The cap and accompanying blouse were measured long before the battle of the skirt began when proper length came into question, with Topaz worried about potential fat deposits and the two seamstresses in favor of it. Both options hugged the flanks in my opinion, and would work for the purpose required of the uniform, but I am a guard and potter by trade, not a tailor. This understanding is what led me being forcibly banished to the opposite wall as the three mares fought for control of the skirt’s length. We had already spent almost the entirety of the morning within the business, and I was becoming increasingly concerned we might spend the afternoon here as well when a declaration was reached by Silk String.  “Enough! We will create two skirts instead!”  “You don’t need to make another when I know what I want!” Topaz countered back as the two mares began collecting their supplies. The red earth mare Spinel, motioned it was safe for me to approach, and I did so.  Topaz had just removed the skirt so Spinel could retrieve the piece of clothing for future modification, leaving us alone for the moment.  “The nerve of that mare!” She hissed into my ear as her wings made strides to remain still.  “Is their suggestion really that problematic to require a second skirt?” I asked while moving next to the pegasus, trying to rid her of the negative emotions she was experiencing.  “Quit it Idol.” She commanded as I worked my way up by her ear as the muted grays of her exasperation wriggled free, and into my awaiting mouth.  In my years of passive and active feeding, the act of removing negative emotions afflicting any creature had proven very beneficial to the affected. This unorthodox method of extracting these emotions (with Topaz’s approval) have sprouted an unintended side effect neither of us knew could be achieved from a feeding- positivity.  This same kind ‘feeding’ I was using to rid Topaz of her irritation, a doctor would do to clean a wound to stimulate healing, and by following this premise removed the negativity from the body to leave room for the positivity to flourish. With Topaz’s approval, we’ve tried this kind of feeding several times with mild success, but not enough to prefer it to the traditional method of calming down. Even now I’m struggling to keep this negativity down, and no amount of preparation than one’s own will power can keep it down. The discomfort of ingesting it made feeding a challenge, and the main reason we haven’t mentioned this to Cersus for worry she would want to help her friends. To expose herself so soon after the wedding… “That’s enough, thank you.” Topaz told me as she visibly relaxed. Her wings fluttered a little less until they settled into her side as the stiff posture began sagging, and with this encouragement, I continually found the strength to perform this feeding.  Unable to speak as I fought to keep my stomach in check, I nodded my understanding of her words. If I could outlaw the bodily reaction known as indigestion, I would wholeheartedly support the movement.  Seeing my inability to speak, Topaz resigned from asking any more questions as we waited for the seamstresses to finish their tasks before properly dismissing us.  The entire ensemble was finished a week later, and true to their word, Silk String and Spinel created an additional blouse and cap to go along with their suggested skirt length free of charge.  “I should write them a letter, thanking them for their generosity.” I thought loudly as I waited for Topaz to finish putting on the uniform.  “You really shouldn’t, but instead get them…” Topaz trailed off as she finished buttoning up her blouse before flexing her wings. “... a gift basket might not be enough. This is really comfortable.”  “They did appear very knowledgeable about their trade, but I wonder how Cadence knew of them?”  “Maybe she bought something from them before? By Celestia’s golden tiara, I’m never taking this off. The skirt too!” Her declaration made me take notice of the uniform to learn why this unofficial prop had become a favorite, but upon examination of the flank area did I find my answer.  “Isn’t that the skirt Silk String suggested?”  “It is.” Topaz admitted as she showed the skirt off with a twirl.” I might have been wrong, this skirt looks and feels really nice.”  “Is the uniform nice enough to consider a career shift? The guard could always use a mare of your talents.”  To my delight, Topaz found the jest amusing enough to laugh at the thought before giving off a sharp salute.  “Officer Topaz reporting in!”  “At ease, officer.” I returned the salute knowing she really isn’t an officer, but found her enthusiasm charming to not play along.  This sort of playfulness continued for an unspecified amount of time as Topaz and myself lost track. I won’t give exact reasonings for this distraction, but after confirming the uniforms were extraordinarily well made finally left our room to pick up Cersus from the watchful eyes of a mother hen.  There isn’t an actual fowl residing in the castle, but is a pony expression to compare the behavioral patterns of a creature to that of a mother hen- Cadence. The past few weeks have seen a great change in the expecting alicorn with the two biggest being her appetite, and unconditional love of watching Cersus while Topaz and myself are busy.  I am delighted for the occasional break. More so, since Cersus was predominantly independent before our relocation to the empire, and hopefully by separating herself from our presence the nymph might retain some of that lost independence. Her more recent behavior has been confusing to me alone since when asked, Topaz, dismisses it as the adolescence of a growing filly. I don’t share these beliefs, yet find her assumptions both intriguing, and troubling. After the wedding, I’d given up hope of seeing Cersus returning to the hive as a functioning and proper changeling. With anti-changeling sentiment everywhere, and the hive state too fractured to properly function it was decided the nymph would remain in our care for the foreseeable future. I haven’t revealed my intentions to Cersus nor Topaz as I should, yet I haven’t found the time appropriate to put forth the subject.  Our daily activities as a pony family unit held more weight in the nymph’s ability to remain hidden than reinforcing her changeling heritage. If Topaz, and Cersus continued to show no discomfort with our roles then I shall continue to do the same.        Since our arrival, Cadence has exclusively stayed within the confines of her room leaving Shining Armor the sole ruler of the Crystal Empire. This left a heavily pregnant Cadence alone for most parts of the day with a hoof maid and basic guard detail on hoof should she need anything, and it might be the reason the alicorn adored watching Cersus.  The trot to their room was quick, and as normal greeted the two guards on each side of the doors with a quick salute.  “Gentlecolts.”  “Colonel, sir!” They snapped a salute back, but lingered when they finally noticed Topaz’s new uniform. “Ma'am!” Their enthusiasm is duly noted, and even earned a chuckle from Topaz as they redirected their salute to her as well. I didn’t correct their actions as Topaz straightened up and gave off her own salute in return. I never felt prouder.  “Gentlecolts.” She repeated, who in turn dropped their salute and addressed the both of us.  “What can we do for you?”   “What can we do for you?”     They both asked at the same time, earning an amused giggle from Topaz while I felt proud of the professionalism being displayed.  “We’ve come to collect our foal from her highness’s nurturing care.” I informed the royal detail.  “I’m sorry to inform your lordships…”  “...the princess and Lady Cersus are not present at the moment.”  their admittance surprised us, or me, giving the nature of pony rearing I had expected the princess to be near immobile for the duration of her term.  “And where would they currently reside?” Making our way to the seventh floor was quick, and the ponies milling about were few meaning less stares directed our way. For a castle of this size, I’d assumed more ponies would be needed for continued functions in the same manner as Canterlot Castle, yet the Crystal Castle appeared to require considerably less. The Crystal Ponies continually impress me.    “Why did Cadence visit the kitchens instead of  requesting her meal to be delivered as before?” “She’s bored Idol. A pregnant mare can’t remain permanently immobile for the duration of their term, it's not good for them or the foal.”  “Wouldn’t the movement potentially expose both parent and foal to potential aliments, or cause unneeded strain on the body?” Topaz shook her head, but stopped when her new cap nearly flew off.  “You’ve visited a hospital before right?” I nodded, having seen the castle infirmary. “It’s common practice to have ponies rehabilitate their injured limbs to keep the blood flow circulating, the muscles from deteriorating. If you don’t use it, you lose it.”  “And this is the reason for their highness’s need for the Royal Canterlot voice?”   We stopped after that question to allow some of the castle staff to pass before resuming our discussion.  “That was a joke, right Idol?” She asked, and happy my attempt was noticed, I smiled. “Indeed. I’ve been learning the creation of jokes eases tension and could create a better environment for everypony. I’m going to use these ‘jokes’ with the new recruits to earn their trust.”  “Good luck.” Topaz’s flank made contact with mine, forcing me off balance for a moment before adjusting myself. “You’re learning well, I like that.”  A rush of emotions followed after that, and nearly all of them I recognized from personal experience while on duty, or from our constant outings to the theatre. My experiences also said my response to the emotions around us should be simple, but meaningful… “Thank you.” I whispered as I gave a simple nuzzle along the right side of her neck, earning me even more happiness, and affection in the process.  Since the invasion and my weekly meetings with Princess Luna, I’ve tried to show displays of affection on a regular basis to further my integration into pony society. For Topaz’s sake, and Luna’s insistence, I’ve used these acts of affection as part of my rehabilitation with enough effect that I find the act pleasing to perform.  The shared moment might have lasted longer, but we were interrupted when another group of castle staff suddenly appeared in front of us. They froze when they saw us, unsure what to do before the maids were set upon by a giggling fit who all waved to us as they scurried past us; the emotions coming from them as they passed held no ill intent, but genuine happiness with a mixture of jealousy and lewdness, leaving me confused.  “What have you been telling them?” Topaz asked, having slightly distanced herself to avoid more attention.  “You asked the question wrong dear, it’s what have you been telling Princess Cadence?”  We weren’t arguing more than exchanging playful banter with each other to hide our own insecurities of the relationship. Our understanding of this has left a noticeable tension in our interactions with each other, but we still trot forward as we have done before. Talking to Shining and Cadence (mostly Shining) about my concerns have helped in the transition from friend/landlord to potential spouse/co-owner of a property, and a nymph. ‘Trial by error.’ as the saying goes, but hopefully with a reduction in errors. By Order and Celestia’s will, we arrived at the palace kitchens without further delay to find our missing ponies in the middle of the commotion. Lunch was ending, but now preparations for dinner were being made with vast amounts of vegetables being prepared and diced, while a second group hurriedly washed the crystal ware and cooking pans to be used for the next meal.  Spared from this organized madness was Princess Cadence and Cersus, still in proper disguise, huddled around a lone stove to the far right of the kitchen staring at the glass window. My assumption was this single stove was placed here her request given how much of the cooking machine’s surface was covered with her cutiemark. A busy cook saw and bowed, ready to see to our needs when we gestured toward the two hungry ponies window shopping, and with a knowing smile nodded to resume his work.  Our hoofsteps were masked by the daily tasks of the kitchen, yet Cadence's ears became alert to our presence before turning toward us with a broad smile.  “You don’t even try to hide it, and that’s wonderful.” the expecting princess greeted us as she stood up to accept Topaz’s hug. “Hello Topaz, Idol.”  “Hey.”  “Hello, Cady.” I returned the greeting with a slight bow instead of a hug. “How did you know where to find us?” Cadence asked, casting a look to a distracted Cersus still watching the stove. Topaz answered for us.  “We asked your guards, and they told us.”  “They were very professional when they saluted Topaz and myself.” This admission gave away to a small convocation of emotions, with amusement being prominent.  “I told those two not to say anything, but…” She looked Topaz up and down “...when a pretty mare in uniform asks…”  “Cadence, please!” Topaz guffawed at the remark, but seemed pleased as they started talking about the excellent uniform.  With my presence temporarily forgotten, I left the two mares for the lone nymph drawn to the light coming through the little window with much anticipation. I took Cadence’s spot looking through the little window to observe a rounded baking tin resting on the top wire shelf.  “We’re baking a cake.” Cersus mentioned without looking away from the baking tin.  “Are you?” I was beginning to smell the spices used in its creation, but these were overpowered by one far more potent. Cersus’s pegasus wings began buzzing happily while she nodded her confirmation.  “It's made with love.” she emphasized the word heavily with enough hunger to make my own belly rumble in response, and I needed to know if that was true.  “Baking with love, and baking using love are two distinct differences Cersus, did our highness  use love itself as an ingredient or express love for baking?” I asked, trying not to stare at the glowing light in the cooking stove for too long.  “Well…” Cersus started off, pinning her tongue to the roof of her mouth as she tried recalling “...I didn’t see any actual love, but I felt it!”  “It’s princess approved." I looked behind me to see Topaz and Cadence watching Cersus and myself with unrestrained amusement, and when I didn’t respond the princess repeated her earlier statement.  “It’s princess approved, so it's baked with all the love ‘a sweet loving alicorn could muster’, or so Aunt Celestia used to tell me.”  “Her Highness is a well known connoisseur of bakery sweets, and her approval is enough. I shall wait with you.” I promised my liege and friend before rejoining Cersus to watch the cake bake with much anticipation. Topaz’s uniform was complete, Cersus and the princess were found safe, and to leave their safety to chance again is out of the question. I would remain by their side until Shining Armor or another guard relieves me from my sworn duty, but until then, I shall perform my duties with the highest levels of professionalism a lone guard such as myself can summon… “Is it done?” Cersus asked nopony directly as she continued her astute observation of the cake, and when no answer came I took the task upon myself. “I do not know, but I will find out.” I looked back to the princess who, along with Topaz, was failing to conceal their giggles from some funny joke, or story to properly answer, but did so by shaking her head left and right.  “Well?” the nymph asked, her eyes still glued to the orange glow coming from the stove window.  “Unfortunately no, but let’s wait another 10 minutes before worrying.”