You're Not Alone
As the fog of sleep lifted, Crystal realized her side hurt. When she tried to lift her head to look at the offending ache, however, the world spun and the throbbing in her brain became evident. A groan rumbled in her dry, scratchy throat and she struggled to get her hoof aligned with her forehead to rub it.
Flashes of the night's events filled the dark space behind her eyelids. Velvet ordering shots after shots, Golden dancing on a table for bits, and Crystal—"Oh, sweet Celestia," she murmured with horrified realization.
Crystal had been the one who had been tossing bits at Golden's hooves in between downing the little glasses of burning alcohol. Which was a literal adjective in one case, where the alcohol had actually been set on fire.
She wasn't sure if she was going to be sick or bust out laughing, so she reached out a hoof to push herself up from the floor only to discover there was nothing there. Her eyes snapped open and though she was in the apartment she shared with Winterspear, there was something wrong: she was on top of the bookshelf.
The yelp of surprise she gave was like a hammer to the skull, and Velvet's voice from down below seemed to feel the same.
"If you make that sound again," Velvet practically growled, "I will end you."
Crystal glanced down to see that Velvet was strewn half on the couch and half on the floor. Her head lolled to the side and her swollen, dark eyelids narrowed to a seething glare.
"I think we drank too much," Crystal whispered.
A chuckle came from the dining table. "You think so?"
With painstaking care, Crystal angled herself from atop the bookshelf to look over and spotted Winterspear sitting down, a mug of coffee held between her forehooves. She grinned and leaned back to nestle into her fuzzy blue robe.
"You three came in laughing like loons," Winterspear continued, pausing to sip from her mug. "Ate darn near everything in the house before declaring yourselves victorious. Scared Iridescence and me half to death when we heard Crystal fall on her first attempt up there." She gestured at Crystal's roost with one hoof.
Crystal groaned. She shifted and tried to reach a foreleg down to brace herself on a shelf, but her limbs felt heavy and unwieldy. So, instead, she dangled. "Wait, first attempt?" That explained how sore she was. "How many times did it take?"
"Three," Winterspear said in a tone that barely concealed her amusement.
Velvet snickered and groaned as her own noise vibrated her headache back to throbbing life. "Celestia's sake, Crystal, you're the worst drunk."
Crystal opened her mouth to snap a reply, but a muffled sound from behind the couch drew their attention away.
Winterspear cleared her throat. "Oh, and Golden is lodged behind the couch."
"Seriously?" Velvet was up on her hooves without so much as a groan or a stumble; surprise was a fairly good sobering agent. "Oh my gosh!"
Crystal looked over to see a plump golden rump wiggling in the air, two long legs kicking uselessly just a hoof's length off the ground.
"I'm stuck!" Golden called, her voice muffled by the furniture that trapped her against the wall.
Velvet snorted and sat down, her head tilted for a better view. "Yeah, you are."
There was a sound between an indignant huff and a petulant whine before Golden asked, "Are you going to help me?"
"I am helping." Velvet gave a wicked grin. "I'm supervising."
The dining chair squeaked against the floor as Winterspear stood up and walked over to the bookshelf. Her wings flapped to steady herself on two legs so she could grab Crystal around her middle, gingerly bringing her down to the floor. "There, now, while Velvet supervises Golden, we need to get some breakfast and coffee into you."
Crystal shook her head to clear the dizziness from how the room spun. She tested her hooves and found them to be unsuitable; they wobbled far too much to walk, so she plopped down right where she was. "Why?"
When Winterpsear didn't answer right away, Crystal's heart pounded through the haze of hangover. Silent.
"What happened?" Crystal asked, forcing herself to her hooves. Just as surprise and mischief worked for Velvet, the thought of Silent could pull Crystal out of anything. "Winter?"
She watched as Winterspear's wings tightened in to her sides before the mare turned to face her. "A letter arrived by courier this morning."
Crystal blinked a few rapid times. "A letter! That's good news, isn't it?"
"Is it?" Winterspear asked in a soft voice. "You tell me."
There was a long moment of relative silence that was otherwise filled with the sound of Golden's futile efforts to free herself. Crystal felt a chill seize her muscles when the slots clicked into place.
"Oh," she breathed. "No. I mean, yes! Yes, of course it's good news." Her gaze fell to the lone letter resting on the dining table. "It means that a part of him is still Silent Knight."
Winterspear strode forward and gripped the underside of Crystal's muzzle in one hoof. Their eyes met, determination boring into sudden uncertainty. "This is why I didn't want you to know. Listen to me, okay? When Dad came back from the war, he didn't just change on his own. He had to change because nopony could understand what he had done. What he lived through."
Crystal swallowed, unable to look away. "I—"
"All of him is Silent Knight," Winterspear continued in a voice that was somehow both stern and desperate. "You can't blame Dread Knight, because that means you're rejecting what Silent's doing over there to survive. You can't reject him. I don't want him to end up like Stratus—please."
The hoof gripping her started to tremble the longer Crystal didn't respond, so she raised one of her own to set over it and squeezed.
"I'm sorry, of course." Crystal offered a soft smile. "It's hard to imagine they're the same pony, but I'll try. It might take some time to adjust, but when he comes home, I'll be ready."
Winterspear's ears drooped and her gaze darted away. "When he comes home," she repeated, defeat seeping into her voice.
"Winter?" Crystal tilted her head to the side to try to make eye contact. "He will come home. He will. He has to."
"I know. I know he will. It's not that." Winterspear withdrew her hoof with a heavy sigh. "I just—it's going to sound so awful and petty, but I don't know how much longer I can wait."
Crystal's brow furrowed. "Wait?"
With the shy voice of a schoolfilly, Winterspear mumbled, "I'm ready to be married to Iridescence now. I want Silent to be there, but there's no telling how long this war is going to last. His letter to me didn't sound very hopeful." She ran a hoof over her face and groaned. "How long do I put my life on hold?"
On hold. Crystal bit her tongue; how long, indeed? Her head ached from all the thinking she was forcing through it, and she settled onto the nearby dining chair with a sigh. "Do you want my opinion?"
Winterspear just nodded, apprehension flashing across her expression.
"My friend, Horsey, was so eager to get married that she was terrified of a wedding. She found a perfect compromise: she got married in private at the courthouse and then later had the wedding." Crystal smiled up at Winterspear. "Get married to Iridescence. Silent wouldn't want you to wait. Then, when he gets back, we can have the wedding."
Velvet chimed in, "Besides, you two are basically married anyway." At some point, she had given in to help Golden—who was busy checking herself over for potential injury—and was now moving to sit beside Crystal. "As much as I hate him, I know Silent wouldn't want this for you."
Crystal winced and glanced over to see Velvet not looking back at her. Though they had been able to build a bridge with a night of alcohol and partying, the chasm still existed.
"You really think so?" Winterspear asked with a small but growing smile. "You wouldn't hate me for getting married without Silent here?"
"Absolutely not." Crystal returned the smile with twice the bright sincerity. "I could never hate you, and certainly not over chasing your happiness. I would, however, like to be at the courthouse with you."
Velvet shot up a hoof. "Me, too!"
From her spot on the couch, Golden sniffed loudly. "I see nopony is asking for my opinion on the matter."
Winterspear looked over at her with a grin that was lopsided with surprise. "I, uh, I'm sorry, I just—" She shrugged. "I didn't think this was the sort of thing a pony like you would care about." Her eyes went wide. "By that, I mean, a famous pony! A model! You know, insignificant lives of insignificant ponies?"
Waving a dismissive hoof, Golden tipped her nose into the air. "While I appreciate the adulation, I spent the night passed out behind your couch. The least I could do is offer my opinion on the matter." She folded her hooves neatly in her lap and looked across the room at them. "This war is an ugly and hideous thing. If you can manage to find something beautiful in the middle of it, then you should do everything you can to hold onto it." Her lips quirked into a smile. "Marry that mare, already."
The grin on Winterspear's muzzle blossomed into a full-blown smile. "Yeah." Her wings quivered and she started to trot for the bedroom. "Yeah, I will. I'll go, right now. I'm going to talk to her. Thanks, girls."
Velvet snickered while Crystal just smiled, then their attention shifted to the envelope sitting on the table. It illuminated in pink magic and levitated to Crystal's eye level, the letter slipping out from inside and unfolding in the air.
Celestial Wife Mine
We have arrived once more at Dreyri River and I am frightened. The core of my being insists that I turn north and fly away from this madness. We lost more ponies here than we did with the Harmony.
It was our greatest defeat. Our time to stand proudly against the aggressors and they swept us aside as if we were nothing. They used those awful weapons that they had before… well… they don't have them anymore. That well has gone dry.
I fear losing myself again. I can still hear the screams of the dying and feel the burning in my breast and shoulder. Our leaders call it the small victory in our defeat but I call it surrendering who I want to be. I'm not sure how much longer I can play this horrible role. I've grown sick of killing and yet I know I will kill many, many more.
Dread Knight. That was the horrible role—it had to be. Had she not known about the truth, perhaps she wouldn't have paid much mind to the idea of what killing actually meant, too relieved to receive word from him. But she did, and now the notion twisted her stomach into knots.
I'll kill them all though if that is what it takes to come home to you. That is what I swore before and what I will swear again. I will come home, Crystal. I don't know when but I will. I just hope that when I get to the other side of this river of blood you'll still know me and love me.
Her hooves trembled and she clasped them together to keep Velvet and Golden from noticing. All she could imagine was the stallion she loved with his white coat stained red. The after-action reports bubbled to the surface of her mind: confirmed kills, no prisoners.
Your presence is sorely missed. Your scent, warmth, and soft touch seem like the finest reward a pony could ever receive but not deserve for this business.
Tomorrow it is likely I will march to battle as I can't imagine we'll linger here long and allow the enemy to prepare. Think of me and look to the stars.
I won't say goodbye. I shall simply say see you on the other side.
Silent Knight
The feeling of bile crawling up the back of her throat was eased by his final words. Killing, death, blood—stars. Their love in the stars would always be there, bright and constant in the darkness. A smile started to cross her lips as peace settled in the storm of her mind.
He was still her husband, and she still loved him. It was the war that surrounded him in such horrible things, and while he had volunteered to go, he hadn't volunteered for this. This was not his choice. The only choice he had was to survive so he could come home, and that was what he would do.
And when he did, she would be waiting for him, hooves open wide. She would be ready to help wash the blood away.
"So, given that none of you have valets," Golden said into the silence, "which of you is going to prepare breakfast?"
Velvet snorted. "With that attitude? You."
Golden's ears perked upright. "I don't cook."
"Now's as good a time as any to st—"
They all jolted in surprise at a rapid knocking on the front door. "Crystal!" a familiar stallion's voice called. "Sorry to bother, but it's important!"
Velvet grinned, giving a small wiggle of her ears. "What's this? Crystal has a secret suitor?"
"Oh, please." Crystal flicked her tail in Velvet's direction as she walked across the room. "It's my agent." As she opened the door, the sudden light from outside felt like a blow to inside of her skull. In what she hoped was a voice that didn't bely the remembrance of a hangover, she greeted, "Sunset!"
Sunset Coffee looked no more or less disheveled than he usually did, but it seemed exaggerated as he ran a hoof through his mane. "You're going to be upset. Please don't be upset?"
Crystal blinked a few times. "Why don't you come in first?"
"Right, yes, that's proper, isn't it?" He brushed past her with a nervous hitch in his step. "Hello, hello." He nodded toward Velvet and Golden before whirling to face Crystal. "Reindom House wants a sequel."
"A sequel?" Crystal tilted her head.
"Yes." His lips pursed into a light frown. "A sequel to Desert Rose. They're offering to advance you five thousand bits if you agree."
With a small gasp of surprise, Crystal looked over at Velvet before returning her attention to Sunset. "That sounds wonderful! Why would I be upset?"
Sunset ducked his head. "Because they're very much set on the sequel centering on Fatinah finding love. It is, despite my urging otherwise, non-negotiable."
"Excuse me?" Crystal tried to keep herself from sounding as if she had just been slapped. "But—What! That defeats the entire purpose of the story!"
"I know. I know, and I tried to tell them that." Sunset sighed. "But they say it's what the market wants."
Crystal's ears flattened against her mane as she growled out, "Well, the market can shove it right up their—"
"Just write it," Velvet cut in, facing away from them. Her voice, however, told Crystal everything she needed to know what sort of face she was making. "It's what they want, like I told you from the beginning."
"No." Crystal stomped a hoof. "To Tartarus with the market and what they want! I am working on a different story, anyway."
Velvet glared over her shoulder, anger in her eyes. "Don't be a stubborn—"
Sunset cleared his throat. "Unfortunately, Crystal, Reindom has the power here. They will refuse anything except what they want. Desert Rose is hot, and they've set their mind to a sequel."
"But why does it have to be that kind of sequel?" Crystal shook her head, starting to pace back and forth. "I won't do it. Power or no, I can't write something I don't have an interest in."
"I know. And that's why I have a proposal." Sunset gestured at the couch, where Crystal reluctantly took a seat. "I've worked at Mares Monthly longer than any job I've had before. I don't normally stay at a place long because, well." He laughed, settling down on the couch beside her. "I just have so many ideas of things I want to do that I rarely sit still."
"But you like working with Crystal," Golden supplied, her brow arched.
Sunset looked over at her with a mix of surprise and amazement. "Yes! Exactly! How did you know?"
Golden rolled her eyes and leaned back like a petulant foal. "Because she has that unfortunate effect on me." A shadow of a smile crossed her lips before she smothered it.
"I see." Sunset chuckled and returned his attention to Crystal. "Well, the point is, I have an idea. I've had it for a while. I just don't have the resources to make it happen on my own."
Crystal tilted her head. "What is that?"
Sunset's eyes glossed over with a distant, wistful glaze. "My own publishing company. One that doesn't stoop to the dirty tactics I see in Reindom House and Mares Monthly, that isn't stuck under the hoof of Eminence like every other company in Manehattan. 'Pure Leaf Press', eh? Named for my Bouquet."
Warmth spread through Crystal's chest and she found herself giggling. "I can hardly ignore my favorite agent and his dream when he has presented it with such a romantic notion, now, can I?" She took his hoof in hers. "I presume by resources, you mean bits."
"And lots of it," Sunset muttered, his happy fugue fading away. "More than I know you can afford on your own. The equipment alone, plus advertising and, oh, the licensing fees!" His shoulders slumped. "It's why it's always just been a dream."
Golden huffed lightly, examining her hoof with a nonchalant expression. "I am not without financial means, you know."
"No," Crystal said, rising to her hooves. "I don't remember much of last night, but I do remember that part."
Golden's ear flicked. Tension rippled across her face. "And what is that?"
There was a long pause as Crystal swirled the words in her mind first, testing them out before she spoke them aloud. "You told Velvet and me about your struggle to find work without your father's influence."
Embarrassment turned the tips of those golden ears red. "That doesn't mean I'm destitute."
Crystal shook her head and started toward the door. "I have my own means, though I appreciate the offer." She flashed a smile at Sunset over her shoulder. "I promise that we'll make Pure Leaf Press a reality. Give me an hour, two at the most!"
"Oh, okay, we'll just entertain your agent in the meantime!" Velvet rolled her eyes, but waved a hoof nonetheless. "Have fun storming the bank!"
Crystal gave an inward sigh as she stepped outside. To herself, she muttered, "I don't think he'd like being called a bank."
She had to keep herself busy. Writing wasn't enough, and the Flower Foundation was too close to the war to be a distraction. She loved the work, of course, but this would be perfect. This would be something else entirely.
A publishing company. She couldn't help giggling at the thought. If she could make this work, then she and Sunset could realize the dreams of so many authors struggling to get their work into print.
It was a noble endeavor, but expensive, too. Without even knowing everything involved, she knew she would need help. Her hooves moved into a brisk trot to carry her faster with an excited gait.
The tall building that was her destination finally came into view as she rounded a corner: the headquarters of Jet Ventures. It had been a while since she had dropped by. The image of the battle-eager airships was still too fresh in her mind to consider visiting its birthplace before now.
"Hello, Mrs. Wishes," the receptionist chirped when Crystal walked through the front doors. "Who are you here to see? Mr. Ship is in his office, and Mr. Set is currently in a meeting."
Crystal bobbed her head in a polite greeting as she kept walking. "Mr. Ship, thank you."
The receptionist smiled. "You know the way! Have a great day!"
As Crystal moved, a pony would jump up to get a door for her, offer a cordial hello, or thank her for her Foundation work. Was this what being a celebrity felt like? She tried not to smile too much at the attention she received as she walked the gauntlet of desks until she reached Jet Ship's large, imposing office.
Her grandfather was behind his desk, poring over all sorts of documents. "Yes?" he asked without glancing up. "What is it?"
"Hi, Grandfather."
His ears perked and his head snapped up, orange eyes focused on her while a smile wrinkled their corners. "Crystal, what a surprise! So sorry. Come on in, sit down. What can I do for you, sweetheart?"
Crystal returned the smile as she settled down in the seat across from him. "I won't take up too much of your time, I hope." She folded her hooves in her lap and sat up with as much confidence as she could muster. "The Flower Foundation has been very successful. The charity drives continue to bring in more than we're currently spending."
Jet Ship nodded, mirroring her posture. So it was to be a power play. "Agreed. You should be able to afford a new location without even touching the reserve funds from my initial investment."
"Yes." She smoothed the hairs of her coat idly to look disinterested in the conversation. "So, on that note, I would like to discuss another venture."
His ears perked before folding back. "Another venture? Of what nature? Another charity?"
"No, Grandfather, not a charity. A pony I know is looking to start a publishing business. Obviously, as a writer, this is something that professionally interests me." She sucked in a breath, hesitating a beat too long and inwardly cursing herself for it. "I have my own funds to invest, particularly with how well the Desert Rose film has done, but I need more."
"More," Jet Ship repeated, moving his folded hooves to rest on his desk as he leaned in. "And how competent is this 'pony you know'? How much experience do they have? What is the market like for new publishing companies? Have you done any business analysis at all?"
Crystal's ear twitched despite her willing everything to remain stoic. "I trust this pony."
"Trust! You trust them? Oh, well, if I simply gave money to every pony I trusted, I would be bankrupt." He snorted and shook his head. "Come back to me with a proper proposal and I'll consider it."
"Why?" Crystal spat out before she could stop herself, froze, and then gave in entirely. "Grandfather, you're beyond rich! You would hardly notice the loss if this completely failed. Haven't I proven to you with the Foundation that I can do this?"
Jet Ship narrowed his eyes and set his jaw. "A war-focused charity during war is entirely different from a publishing company. The need for the charity was obvious. You have to be responsible with your investments, dear. You don't stay 'beyond rich' by tossing a few bits here and a few bits there until it's all gone."
"But—" Crystal tried not to sound as frustrated as she felt. "The risk to you is so little. I'll take on as much of the risk as I can and put all of my royalties toward it, and—"
"See? All of your royalties! What nonsense!" One hoof raised to rub his temple. "I'm sorry, but I need you to understand good business sense before you take over."
That stopped Crystal's mind in its tracks. "Take over?"
There was a long pause before Jet Ship released a heavy sigh and settled back into his seat, looking suddenly tired. "I'm not a young stallion anymore, Crystal. I'm not as sharp as I once was. Running Jet Ventures requires more than I've got to give these days."
He looked up at her with a sad smile. "This has been a family business since it started, and you're the sole heiress. Unfortunately, it will fall on your shoulders soon. Your father was groomed for it starting when he was a foal before he walked away from the responsibility. I don't have as much time with you."
Crystal's mouth flapped open and closed a few times as she sputtered through attempted responses. What could she say? What should she say?
"Don't be ridiculous," her father's voice came from behind her, and the both of them jolted before looking at him. "She's not a Jet." A crooked smile was on Jet Set's muzzle.
Jet Ship's expression darkened. "She's the only option I have."
Raising a hoof to his chest, Jet Set gave a look of mock offense. "I can't believe you wouldn't even ask me first."
The dark shadows in Jet Ship's face faded with surprise. "You mean—"
"Of course." Jet Set cocked his head. "I assumed that was a given when I came back to work here."
Jet Ship rose to his hooves and walked around the desk to approach his son. "I assumed it was still off the table," he murmured as if speaking to a dream. "You'll really take it over?"
"Of course," Jet Set repeated, bowing his head. "It would be my pleasure."
With a deep laugh, Jet Ship hooked a foreleg around his son's neck and pulled him in for a half-embrace. "Splendid! Then all of this was for naught!" He looked at Crystal with a broad grin. "Dear, of course you can have this little publishing company of yours."
Crystal sputtered again. "I—Really? Just like that?"
He nodded with enthusiasm. "What use is having all these bits if I can't spend them on my only granddaughter?"
Crystal's gaze flickered between him and her father, who simply winked at her. Hope started to flutter in her chest. "Does this mean I don't have to fill out anymore forms?"
"Of course!" Jet Ship chuckled. "I only wanted you to be conscious of every bit you spent. Now that Jet Ventures will be in your father's hooves, I have no agenda. You just tell me how much you need, and it's yours."
"I, um, thank you, Grandfather." Crystal felt a smile growing on her face. "I'll still use my own bits for as much of this as I can, because it wouldn't feel right if I didn't. But thank you."
Shrugging, Jet Ship returned his attention to Jet Set. "So, my boy, when will you be ready?"
"I hadn't really thought much about it, but..."
While the two of them carried on, Crystal sneaked out of the office—after taking a butterscotch from the dish on the desk, of course. It was a lot to take in: one moment she was burdened with the responsibility of a company she didn't want, and the next she had her grandfather's entire funds at her disposal.
Perhaps the sudden shift would feel right once she told Sunset and they could dive into planning the next steps. At the very least, sucking on the candy helped everything seem better. That and the knowledge she'd never have to fill out one of those ridiculously long forms again.
And when your hope crashes down, shattering to the ground
You, you feel all alone
When you don't know which way to go
There's no signs leading you home
You're not alone
This story is a part of the Crystal's Tales series in the Quill & Blade universe.
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Oo-de-lally, indeed!
Very happy to see the story continue on! It's a ray of sunshine or a drop of heavy rain in one's day! And we need both!
Never change Velvet. Never change.
Glad to see this chapter. And I enjoyed reading it. Abit of a curveball with the ending there, but... I can see how it works out. As for her agent wanting to break away from his former agency to start his own, good to see he has integrity to crystal. Cant wait for the next chapter.
8253439
I full agree with this sentiment.
Huh, I have the rare opportunity to use a line oft reserved for use against me: Dammit, Jet!
Wow, that last scene was quite the whiplash!
Gosh darn it Jet Sheep...! You don't go grooming mares behind their backs.... That's Crystal Wishes' job...¡
Love the story, good chapter. Wonder how many are going to catch the Robin Hood ( cartoon fox) lyrics in the AN?
Oof. Despite Jet Ship cooperating in the end, I can't help but like him even less. I can't really blame him for being cautious about blindly sponsoring an actual business that's expected to turn a profit. But for all his talk about how little trust matters in business, he only seems to trust his own spawn with his business despite neither of them being all that interested and Crystal not exactly being a businessmare to begin with. Given the war context, Crystal may actively resent this particular trade.
That's not even counting how he tried to shoot down a charity because it may not be profitable, then he tried to guilt trip his granddaughter into taking the rein, and then his turnaround only happened because his son guilt tripped back into it offscreen.
I always thought it a bit strange when Jet Ship went all businesspony on Crystal during the flower foundation(honestly before that, I kinda got the impression he was the type to spoil his grandkids rotten). In light of the fact that he was trying to groom her into his heiress in what I assume is a very short timetable(please don't kill him off), his change behavior makes much more sense.
"Every town has its ups and downs"
One of my favorite movies.
I still think it would have been a good idea to have at least most of the paper work done before agreeing. Chrystal is still second in line, and it is good to have to work for the support.
I expected this to be followed up with Golden saying some rather undignified things, followed by Velvet cackling like a mad pony.
Make her cook!
Make her cook!
Crystal's poor neck....
Fighting the urge not to laugh.
Silent has finally returned to Dreyri River? Correct me if I'm wrong but does this mean Crystal's Hopes is finally catching up to Trial's of a Royal Guard? If so Huzzah and Congrats! Can't wait to see Crystal's PoV on some of those events.
In other news, Crystal copes with a whiplash injury caused by two successive plot twists. She returns home to find that Golden has successfully managed to burn water.
And Crystal prospers despite the horrors of war, some sunlight indeed.
It's so nice to see Crystal catch a break. A secret agenda discovered and resolved all within the same few minutes.
... I just found that old video on youtube with her life animaticed to Wishes, and it got me thinking about how Crystal's life has played out... I feel a strange sense of pride in this little writer mare. It feels like watching a daughter grow up.
Weird as that feels to say.
Sounds like a successful evening.
They really should get married and not wait, because everything else aside, what if Silent doesn't come home safe? Assuming the marriage happens after that point (sometimes stuff falls apart), that'd tie the start of their marriage to also mourning Silent, and that sounds like a good way to make the somewhat complicated process of starting a married life together just a solid notch more complicated.
Good mare.
Clearly the sensible approach is writing a story where Fatimah finds, not love, but someone to father a foal with. The ending of such a story is a bit up in the air, though.
Well that gives an interesting view into granddad Jet's very businessy support of the Foundation. He was intending it as training for Crystal in taking over the company as a whole.
Also,
Communication! Very important!
Oh, a publishing company! Crystal really is becoming a well-rounded philanthropist and businessmare. Owner of the Flower Fondation, co-owner of a publishing company, a few books and a movie...not to mention being married to a royal guard plus friends with a princess. I wonder if she ever gets hounded by one of those kissbutty nobles due to her status?
Few stories make me smile as much as this one does. the frequency of the smiles is worrying me though, for i fear i am starting to have a more positive outlook on life.
This is basically how I was raised. So I read this thinking "YES CRYSTAL, Please think of this stuff before you go off and start a business with feelings and rainbows!"
Ugh, forms. The evil of a civilized world.
Velvet sure had a GOLDEN time supervising from BEHIND.
... I'm not sorry.
Ahhh, so very late on responses! Work has been a menace (but I love it). I hope you all know I appreciate y'all even if I'm slow to respond!
8253439 Oh, this story will most certainly continue on... until it ends, anyway! But we've got a little while before that happens.
8253462 No worries there, I think Velvet will remain Velvet for some time to come. >3<
Sunset Coffee has always been kind of a "dad-mentor-friend" to Crystal, and has certainly shown his fondness for her in spades. She's been loyal to him, so he's been loyal to her in kind.
8253464 But which Jet?
8253532 It certainly is whiplash for Crystal, indeed!
8253552 Hee hee. Jet Sheep, grooming? That's shear brilliance, that pun you've got there...
8253595 Glad you're enjoying it!!
8253649 I love comments like these—when folks (and I mean this in a positive way) have a completely different opinion of a character in reading them than I do in writing them. It's a good thing, I think, because it means the character isn't universally seen as one thing, as one personality, as one interpretation. I'm glad you and I don't see him the same way because it means I'm writing him correctly. ^^
And, of course, you're not wrong at all. That's certainly not what I'm saying!
8253724 Ahh, I'm glad it cleared things up for you! Yes, there was an intended bit of contrast between how he interacted with her before the Foundation and after.
8253768 Oh, I don't disagree! Jet Ship is, like soulwinds said, the type to spoil his granddaughter absolutely rotten. For better or for worse! She's also shown herself to not be entirely frivolous, such as putting forth her own money. If she wanted him to support the endeavor 100% without any of her own input... well, honestly, he'd probably do it anyway. :lol:
8254045 It didn't not happen that way, Crystal just didn't pay attention to it. So it totally could have happened!
8254161 I hear there's a (oh gosh going to try to do this from memory) suspicious if not exceedingly trustworthy? capable? competent? crap. my memory's not so good. There's a repairpony who maybe could repair necks!
8254540 If you're fighting the urge not to laugh, then doesn't that mean you're laughing? ;D But in seriousness, at what in particular?
8254990 We are getting there, yes. We are closer to the end than we are to the beginning!
Oh, the laughter Velvet would be overtaken with if Golden caught water on fire!
8255054 There's always light somewhere in the darkness!
8255142 Oh, golly, I know what you mean. I've said this before so forgive me for being a broken record, but... Wishes was just supposed to be a 20 chapter nothin'. Just a little explanation of who Crystal was in the context of Memoirs. It's grown... so much, and she's grown so much as a character. In a lot of ways I didn't anticipate.
8255312 You're very much right. Waiting just won't work out, not logically. Time to tie the knot!
There is a little personal inspiration here for the whole "Reindom House wants Desert Rose and nothing else". My favorite author, Piers Anthony, wrote soo-o—ooo many Xanth novels because it's all his publisher wanted. He supposedly grew to hate writing them, as he wanted to do other things, but they had no interest and demanded more and more Xanth.
Oh my gosh yes. Communication is the most important thing to any relationship, romantic or platonic or familial!
8255391 Very good question! She is certainly moving forward with her professional life and potentially gaining more public eye. Hmm, hmm!
8256008 Oh no! Not a positive outlook! What ever will you do with one of those? (keep smiling! smiles for days! mwuahah!)
8256122 But... but... friendship is magic! And feelings ARE rainbows! heehehe.
No, like, yes! Forms are so ridiculously overused!
8261800 Her intent was crystal clear! She just wishes to appreciate what Golden has. Just ignore her heavy-breathed pants!
8263835
Goodness sake Crystal, do you realize how long ago I wrote about Socket Wrench, the nice if exceedingly suspicious repairpony? I'm kind of impressed you remember that at all.
You know what? Just for that, I'll write another chapter in that saga. Just for you, Crystal. Crystal, just for you.
Well, I finished reading Crystal's and Velvet's stories (at least where they are at the moment) and first I must say you are a amazing author. The characters as you have written them have outstanding interactions, the settings are beautifully constructed, and, well, just about all of it really.
I must say though, every time I read Velvet, I can't help but read a massive Crystal Wishes size hole in her heart, she was right all those chapters back, Silent really did tear her and Crystal well apart. The SS Crystal Step may of never taken a true step towards reality before it was dashed upon the rocks, but I say it makes for the finest home among them. Overall, a excellent story, and I hope to see it continue.
8263921 agghhh! I had it backwards! I was close, though, I'm pretty pleased with that. And I get a reward for trying! Yay!!
8263980 Thank you so much for the kind words! I'm really happy you're enjoying what I've written. It's always fun to hear what things people pick up on or notice more than other things—yes, Velvet is a little bit of a sad case. It's never easy when a friend gets in a relationship that pulls them away from the closeness you used to share, especially harder still when you don't think the man (or, in this case, stallion) is good for her...
8263835
Ship first, but honestly Set, too!
8263835
well, I might not be theothersans, but I know several ways to shear the wool of a Sheep that has Jets on it and are Set into getting their Wishes Crystalized... and let us not talk of the Crust on the Very top of the wool...
8263835
Oh yeah; I know how that feels. Fictional characters are weird, confusing creatures. Writers control their actions, but they also control ours.
Phelnia was a constantly bullied, scarred princess that spent her entire life getting beat down by people stronger than her (she was weak but brilliant in a society that valued strength above all else - think the Sith or Sparta). She was supposed to commit suicide at the end of her arc but the next thing I know she's married to a pirate king and running the world's best spy network in her "retirement". Roethye was planned to be Alexander the Great for her entire culture, eventually ascending to godhood. She was assassinated in her room after her first major battle. Ombra was an anarchist vigilante with shadow powers. He went on an adventure with a paladin and fell in love with her to such an extent that he tricked his own father into thinking he was a loyal pawn, only to backstab him at the last minute. (SO glad I actually kept his true motives secret to the last second)
Then the paladin died and he broke down into an emotional wreck, unable to cope with her loss.
>=)
...
She
She'd put it out first, right?
*le gasp!* He does have a heart!
"She's not a Jet." This is now officially my favorite Crystal line. This chapter was filled with amusement, which is more amusing when you consider the deep undercurrent of Dread Knight lingering about like an open wound. I also imagine ShazzyShaz had a field day with this, especially with Golden's plump rump wiggling about. rofl
I was wondering wtf was up with Jet Ship but now that I know, I understand.
I mean, considering the various shenanigans Crystal has managed to get herself in while intoxicated.... yeah...
Writer's integrity is such an important thing. I think the Hollywood market is especially terrible at judging when, how and if a sequel should be made - whether it be making the sequel too soon or too late, or making the sequel people want rather than what the story needs, or just making a sequel that wasn't needed in the first place.
If a writer never intended for the story to continue, I think it should end, and it should never devalue the story of the original. Why is that such a hard concept for people to grasp? Writing as an art form is kind of underappreciated nowadays among the movie industry blowing up and focusing on flashy visuals and big name actors. Writers are people too! they have feelings!
/rant
Jet Set.....what a badass.