Build Strong the Beams
"Darling, you know I support you," Upper Crust said with strain clear in her voice.
Crystal gave a small, indistinct sound of acknowledgement, her focus instead on the paintbrush gripped by her magic.
"But do you have to paint it orange?" Upper Crust looked up at the building that was to be the Flower Foundation's new headquarters, currently under the renovative efforts of the entire staff. "Why not something more like a regal purple?"
"Oh!" squealed a voice from above. They looked up to see Dream Pop loosening the ropes of her harness's pulley system so she could dangle just above them. "I can answer that!"
Upper Crust sniffed derisively when a drop of paint from Dream Pop's brush landed right by her. "Excuse me?"
Crystal just smiled and continued her work while Dream Pop launched into the same animated explanation she'd already heard before.
"You see, orange is the perfect color! It symbolizes excitement and enthusiasm, and draws attention even from far away!" Dream Pop swung her hindlegs and started to turn in a half-circle while she dangled nearby. "It's the color of the sunrise and the sunset, which says, everything will be super okay: this bad day is over and a new, better one is on the way. It also stands out in Canterlot." She came to a stop to flash a bright grin at them. "And it's my favorite color!"
Inclining her head, Crystal offered her mother a coquettish little smile. "It's her favorite color, Mom."
Though Upper Crust rolled her eyes, the corners of her lips twitched upward. "I'm just trying to think of your grandfather's investment. While he has been unrelentingly generous as of late, I would hope that you would at least return his gratitude by taking care of where his money goes."
"And I am." Crystal waggled the paintbrush with feigned carelessness as it sent a few drops flying. "I know what I'm doing, because I've surrounded myself with very capable ponies."
From above, Dream Pop squealed as she swung through the air to paint the highest boards.
Upper Crust relented with a sigh and a shake of her head. "I just wish you hadn't picked orange."
"Your complaint is noted and will be filed with the appropriate authority," Crystal said, unable to keep the giggle out of her voice.
Things were going so well. Sunset Coffee was off in Manehattan starting up the Pure Leaf Press; the Flower Foundation had its new headquarters; and she was getting along with her mother. It was almost wrong to feel as happy as she did, because in the back of her mind lingered the dark tendrils of war.
A major battle had taken place. Silent's letter had told her that much, and now the news was filtering back home, detailing the fallout. They had stormed Dreyri River and delivered a serious blow to the Sudramoar forces there. A cold chill ran up her spine as she recalled the morning's headline: Marshall Varmond's Forces Routed at Dreyri River.
The news loved to take any and every victory to make the war sound like it would be won at any moment, and the Black Dragoons had delivered. Dread Knight always led them through enemy forces, and she couldn't bear to imagine the after-action report for this engagement.
"There," Crystal said under her breath as she finished the last stroke of the boards in her section. She took a step and looked around, smiling as she saw every inch of the building covered in orange, save for the white trim.
"Okay, everypony! Looks like it's time to toast!" Verdant Wellspring called, his voice drowned out by immediate cheers at the sight of him. On his back, he carried several trays piled high with glasses of champagne.
Once each glass had been doled out, all eyes turned on Crystal. The paint had been the last task: the building was finally ready. She cleared her throat and stood tall to address the crowd of staff and volunteers.
"I want to thank you all for taking the time to help with the remodeling of our new home. All of your love clearly shows within these four walls, and I know every pony that comes in search of aid will feel that love when they see the Flower Foundation. We are doing a wonderful thing here that couldn't be done without all of you.
"The timing could not be more unfortunately perfect. I have no doubt that all of us have read the papers. There is going to be one of the largest waves of injured veterans we have yet to see returning to Equestria after the recent battle at Dreyri River. Once they have healed enough to make the journey home, they will need our care and support."
Crystal's eyes sought Verdant's among the crowd of solemn faces. "Are the Carnations prepared for what's about to come?"
Verdant gave a curt nod. "Yes. We have the best doctors in Equestria—"
"Whoo!" Dream Pop cheered, earning a chorus of chuckles and stomps of agreement from the other Carnation volunteers.
"—and they're ready to heal the wounds in their souls and set them up with the right physical therapists. I have brochures printed and I'll have some of our volunteers at the Docks District to greet them as soon as we're allowed."
Coordination with the military had been non-existent at best. They, of course, wanted their hooves on their returning soldiers first and to keep them within their own system. Once they stepped onto the streets after they had been released from the official return procedure, however, the Flower Foundation was there.
"Thank you." Crystal turned her attention to Upper Crust. "And the Red Poppies?"
"Of course, darling," Upper Crust said with a soft, prideful purr. "My team has already begun making contact with those who know that their loved ones were going to be at Dreyri River. We are always a step ahead."
"You bet we are!" Dream Pop cheered, now among the group of Red Poppies. She was a pony of many talents, after all.
Crystal tried not to smile too much as she looked over at Orchid Bouquet. "And what of the Forget-Me-Nots?"
Orchid Bouquet allowed a small frown. "Our greenhouse in Chicagoat suffered an infestation of parasprites that ate all of their inventory, but we—well, honestly, I should give credit where credit is due. Dream Pop not only went and helped with their infestation, but she also got us a temporary partnership with another greenhouse in the area. We should have the stock for any needs there. We are as ready as can be."
A few of the Forget-Me-Not volunteers patted Dream Pop on the back while she beamed that always bright smile of hers. A pony of many, many talents.
"Then while it pains me to be in a situation where we must be prepared, I am grateful to you all that we are. I say this not as a founder, but as a mare whose husband is overseas: thank you." She raised her glass high into the air. "Thank you for all that you've done, all that you do, and all that you will do. May this building serve as a beacon of hope for many in their time of need."
Glasses clinked, ponies cheered, and champagne was downed. It was a big step for the Foundation: a proper headquarters. The location could not have been more perfect, because if she looked out from a window on the second floor, she could see the Harmony Memorial monument reaching up into the heavens.
"Okay, everypony," Wallflower said while the glasses were collected. "We have a buffet inside as our thanks for the hard work today. Please help yourself to all the food and drink you'd like. Then it's back to work like any other day, just in a much bigger and better place."
While ponies filed inside, Crystal lingered behind at Wallflower's side. She watched the faces, most familiar and some brand new but all full of an earnest desire to do good. It warmed her heart to see them all, and—if she dared to be so bold—she was proud. Proud of them, the Foundation, and herself.
Wallflower reached out and stroked Crystal's mane, smiling. "I'll take things from here. You go on. I'd hate for you to be late."
"Late?" Crystal blinked, then jolted, her ears perking upright. "Oh! I almost forgot!" With a quick embrace, she started off in a brisk trot. "Thanks, Mom!"
Verdant was waiting for her just past the Foundation's front gate, his gaze distant, somewhere out over the horizon and beyond. When she neared, his ear twitched to greet her before he turned his head and smiled. "Ready?"
"Yes." Crystal flashed a smile in return and they walked side-by-side down the cobblestone streets. That smile fell into a somber, thin line. "I hope we don't have another loss in the group."
"We've been lucky so far in that regard." He let a slow sigh out through his clenched teeth, then shook his head. "Painted doesn't think it's looking like it'll end anytime soon, either."
Crystal could only move her lips into the shape of an 'o', at a loss for anything to say. A burning sensation started to fill her eyes and she blinked back newly forming tears to blurt out, "She could be wrong."
Verdant just chuckled.
"She could be!" Her ears flattened against her mane. "I adore her, and she's never been wrong before to my knowledge, but that—that doesn't mean she's right about this." She glanced up at him. "What exactly is she doing over there?"
There was a tense pause as the two of them kept walking in the direction of Dawn's condo, where the group was meeting that week. Finally, he replied with careful measure, "If she hasn't explained it to you, then I guess you just have to ask yourself."
Crystal gave a playful roll of her eyes. "Oh, yes, because it's not awkward enough that it took me nearly a year to write her in the first place. I'm beyond eager to add interrogation to my next letter, thank you."
A chuckle rumbled in Verdant's broad chest and he shook his head. "Suit yourself."
Their topic moved on to lighter things, such as how her writing was coming along—fine, as usual—and what he was up to in his spare time—tinkering, also as usual. It wasn't long before they were at the condominium building that had seen better days but was affordable for ponies on a lower budget.
When they reached the second floor and let themselves in like normal, Crystal spotted a form that, although familiar, didn't belong among the ponies of her support group. She felt her heart pound against her ribcage as she stepped forward. "Raven?"
The mare turned and looked up at her with tired eyes that told of countless nights of lost sleep. "Hello, Crystal."
Crystal tried to swallow, but her mouth was dry. "Why are you here? Is Moore at—"
"No, I'm sorry, it's not like that," Raven quickly interrupted with a shake of her head. "I just knew you would be here."
Her worried heart settled and confusion rose in its place. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but why—"
And that was when she chanced a downward glance and she saw a bundle. A bundle of pink cloth, with something wriggling inside.
"I'm sorry," Raven said, her ears folding back against her mane. "I wanted you to meet her as soon as she was born, but life got away from me. My family came to town, and Celestia needed me sooner than anticipated for a sudden meeting, and—"
"It's all right," Crystal said, returning the favor of interruption. "I'll forgive you if you let me see her."
Raven relaxed into a genuine smile. "Yes, of course. Crystal, meet my daughter, Hope."
The folds of the blanket were pulled back in Raven's magic and the biggest pair of bright blue eyes blinked up at Crystal. Sitting in a sea of plush pink was a soft periwinkle filly, with a darker purple mane that was already trailing down in to-be long locks. Her little nose wriggled about before she gave the tiniest little sneeze, a spark of magic lighting the tip of her budding horn.
A chorus of 'aww's at the squeaky sound startled Crystal from the sudden appearance of ponies all around them. When had everypony gotten up to come over and look? Had she been that distracted by the cute little thing?
"Bless her heart," Dawn said, putting a hoof to her own chest. "She is just the sweetest."
Hope giggled and gurgled, her ears wiggling at the sound of Dawn's voice. Raven smiled and leaned down to nuzzle the top of the filly's head. "She has been a true ray of hope for me these past few weeks. I was supposed to have maternity leave for a couple more months, but I can't stay away when the princess needs so much. Thankfully, Hope has been there to relieve the princess's stress."
"Well, she's following in the family hoofsteps at a young age, now, isn't she?" Crystal laughed behind a hoof.
Raven's lips twitched into a grin. "She has a long way to go if she wants to usurp my position as Celestia's aide." After a bit of polite laughter from the group, she shook her head. "I don't know if she will become an aide or not. I have a feeling she's destined for something else."
Crystal held out a hoof, which Hope sniffed curiously. "I find it amazing how mothers always have a sixth sense about their foals. Horsey's pregnant with her second, and—"
Her thoughts ground to a halt. Horsey had been 'pregnant with her second' for a while. How long? Her brow started to furrow. Since the premiere of her film, and that was months ago. Several months ago.
"Crystal?" Raven prompted when the silence dragged on too long.
"I think I have to go," Crystal said as she took a step backward. "I'm sorry." Her gaze flickered between the confused and concerned faces of her support group members. "I'm sorry, but I definitely have to go."
A few voices called after her, but she was already out the door. Panic set a bead of sweat rolling down the side of her neck. Perhaps she was just bad at math. That was not out of the question. She had gotten better at it with all the forms she used to fill out, but that didn't change the fact she had always been bad with keeping track of numbers.
Her heart pounded in her ears, nearly drowning out the sound of her hooves clattering against the cobblestone as she ran. How could she have lost track of her dear friend's pregnancy?
She ignored the looks she received for all-out galloping through the streets of Canterlot in her rush to get to the ballet studio where Velvet would be with the answers. It wasn't far; her muscles were aching, but she urged them to keep going. Velvet would laugh, call her silly, and tell her there was still a month to go.
The doors gave no resistance when her magic threw them open and she skidded on the smooth floors of the studio, all eyes turning on her. She gasped for air while her eyes darted, searching, seeking—"Velvet!"
Velvet looked around as if there were another pony Crystal meant, then cleared her throat. "Uh, sorry, Raine, ma'am. Let me just." She dropped down onto all fours and started toward Crystal. "One sec."
The ballet mistress rolled her eyes and barked out an order for the other dancers to resume practice while Velvet grabbed Crystal by the hoof.
"What's wrong?" Velvet whispered, her face close to Crystal's. "What happened?"
Crystal's mouth flapped as she tried to find words to push past the panting breaths. Finally, she managed in a hoarse voice, "Horsey. Did she have her foal?"
There was a long pause, during which Velvet's expression shifted several times: confused, thoughtful, uncertain, then despair. "Oh, crabapples."
They shared a look they both understood and, without a word, broke into a run. Velvet's ballet mistress called after her, but nothing could stop them from getting to the train station in record time. They had somewhere to be.
Horsey's foal had been born, and neither of them had been there for it. Neither of them had been there for Horsey—sweet, loving Horsey who would sooner break her own heart than give somepony bad news. She sent them a card for every holiday that went by and never forgot their birthdays.
And they had forgotten her.
Velvet was faster, sprinting ahead with wild abandon and leaving Crystal behind to hope that they didn't get separated. The express train didn't pass through nearly often enough for that. Mercifully, by the time Crystal finally reached the platform, she found no train and Velvet pacing beside the tracks.
"How could I forget?" Velvet blurted out when Crystal slumped down onto the ground. "You, sure, you're like, Miss Equestria over there trying to do everything, but me? How could I forget?"
Crystal wanted to retort, but all she could do was wheeze.
One of Velvet's hooves stomped the ground as she paced. "Why didn't she let us know? I wanted to be there!"
The ache in her very bones coaxed Crystal to lie on her side, the cool wood a stark contrast to the heat radiating from her. She could almost swear that the boards vibrated with the beat of her pounding heart.
"What else have I missed?" Velvet practically growled and came to a halt to glare at the tracks, then over at Crystal. "What are you hiding from me?"
Crystal just gasped out something unintelligible, even to herself.
Velvet's expression softened and she walked over to sit beside her, putting a hoof to Crystal's forehead. "Wow, you are out of shape. Don't you run all over Canterlot saving the world?"
With a squinted glare, Crystal swatted the hoof away. "Would you—" She panted. "Would you cut that out already? I understand, you don't care much for what I'm doing with my days."
"It's not that," Velvet muttered, returning her gaze to the tracks. "You forgot my birthday."
Crystal blinked once. "I—" Twice. "Your birthday." Her brow furrowed and she looked down at the ground. "That was a few months ago, wasn't it," she mumbled. "I'm sorry."
"Yeah." Velvet's ears flattened to the sides. "Guess what you were doing instead."
A heavy sigh escaped Crystal and she shifted to sit upright, facing Velvet. "Your birthday is right after Remembrance Day, so I imagine I was doing something with the Flower Foundation."
Velvet sniffed. It wasn't a meek little sniffle, but an almost derisive sound Crystal would expect coming from her mother. "You spent my birthday gardening at that field of flowers or whatever down there." She waggled a hoof in the direction away from Canterlot, out into the rolling hills and plains of Equestria. "The big daffodil field you can see from, like, forever away."
"Velvet, I—"
"And that was after you had holed yourself up in your place for days, and went right back there afterwards. Golden told me to leave you alone, that you found out terrible things about Silent and needed time to process them." Velvet's teeth flashed, an angry, tight-clenched snarl. "So, yeah, thanks to Silent once again for ruining yet another thing in my life."
"I'm sorry!" Crystal yelled, slapping her hooves over her ears. "I'm sorry, all right? I'll say it over and over, but if you don't plan to forgive me, then I don't know what you want!"
Silence held them for a long time until the nearing whistle of the train brought them back to the present. They said nothing, simply both rising to their hooves and waiting to board. Crystal couldn't handle it for very long, however, before she bumped her shoulder to Velvet's.
"I truly am sorry," she whispered.
Velvet sighed and shook her head as she stepped onto the train, Crystal following behind. "I know you are. I'm just not done being mad yet, okay? I'll get there." She sat down and flashed a lopsided grin. "You just owe me a belated birthday cake. A big one, with lots of frosting."
Crystal sat across from her, laughing softly. "Is that after we buy Horsey a 'sorry for being terrible friends and missing the birth of your foal' cake?"
"Why not both?" Velvet looked out the window with a sigh. "She'll forgive us with a smile, you know. I bet she's not even mad."
"There's only one way to find out, I suppose." Crystal leaned back into her seat. "And we have time to figure out how we're going to make it up to her."
Over the course of the ride down the mountain, they came up with several options: a cake, of course, plus balloons, a bouquet, some gender-neutral foal gifts, and something for Claire so the filly wouldn't feel left out. That would surely say that they were sorry, even if Horsey would insist it wasn't necessary. It most certainly was.
When they arrived in Ponyville, their first stop was to secure the cake first and foremost. Crystal vaguely recognized the incoherently babbling pink mare behind the counter who was more than happy to write a custom message for them, even throwing in pink and blue sprinkles for free. Then it was off to the general store, where they hoped to find the rest of the items on their list.
"What do you think of this one?" Velvet asked, holding up a yellow blanket.
Crystal's nose wiggled in thought. "Well, it is certainly happy. Happy is gender-neutral, right?"
With a shrug, Velvet tossed it into their basket of assorted gifts—a little plush kitten for Claire, some of Horsey's favorite chocolate malt balls, and bubblegum cigars for Savoir. However, just as they were checking out, the sweet old mare behind the counter changed everything with a simple question.
"Oh, is this all for Horsey's new foal?" The mare tutted softly. "Don't you think a blue blanket would work better for the little colt?"
"New foal?" Crystal repeated, her eye going wide.
"Little colt?" Velvet squeaked, somewhere between surprised and excited.
There was a pause as the mare glanced between them and the assortment of gifts on the counter. "Why, yes, the one born just yesterday?"
Crystal jerked her head to the side to look at Velvet. "Yesterday!"
"That's fantastic!" Velvet grabbed Crystal by the hoof and started to drag her to the door, barely giving her time to toss bits on the counter and collect everything in her magic. "Come on! We're not too late!"
All of this running would surely be the death of Crystal, but it would be worth it. She could relax at the spa later. They tore through the town and straight to the hospital. So few ponies lived in Ponyville compared to Canterlot that the receptionist knew exactly who they were there for and simply pointed down a hall.
The rushing about, the frantic laughter, the panic of it all—everything came crashing down into startled but blissful silence when they burst into the room. Fluorescent light shone down on three familiar faces in a gentle glow: Savoir sat on the bed next to Horsey, Claire between them and a bundle in Horsey's embrace.
They all stared at one another until Claire broke the silence with a squeal. "Aun-tees!"
Horsey's long lashes fluttered as she tried to regain some composure. "Velvet? Crystal? What are you doing here?"
Velvet puffed out her chest and stomped forward. "What are we doing here? What are you doing here without us!" She paused to ruffle Claire's mane before glaring at Horsey. "What, are we not invited or something?"
"No! No, no, goodness, no, that's not it at all!" Horsey glanced up at Savoir, who offered a reassuring smile and continued for her.
"Mon coeur worried that, with the busy lives the both of her dear friends lead, it would be better to visit later rather than to impose."
Crystal bit her lower lip as she trotted over to stand beside Velvet. "Horsey, is that true?"
Horsey gave a meek nod. "Yes, it is. You have so much—"
Velvet stuck out her tongue at Crystal. "See?"
"You both have so much going on," Horsey amended, shooting a confused look at Velvet. "Between the Flower Foundation and the Royal Ballet, how can I expect either of you to have the freedom to drop everything to come here on a moment's notice?"
Slowly, Crystal lowered the gifts in her magic to the foot of the bed. "Oh, Horsey."
Horsey shook her head and smiled. "But I am happy that both of you are here now. I don't know how you knew to come, but please let me introduce you to Amoureuse."
A dark chocolate head with a shock of bright pink mane popped up from the blanket when Horsey shifted the folds. He blinked a pair of ruby red eyes, staring up at Velvet and Crystal for a long while before yawning and burrowing back into his plush nest.
"He's a bit of a laze-about," Horsey said, giggling.
Savoir chuckled. "He heard of his aunts and how busy they are, so he is taking their rest for them."
"I'm just so very glad to meet him," Crystal said, smiling at the curled-up foal amidst the soft blue blanket. "You should have written to us, Horsey. We're—" Her voice hitched and she forced the smile to grow wider. "We're never too busy for you."
But the truth was, they almost had been, just as she had been too busy for Velvet. How was she going to balance everything, especially now that the Foundation was growing in size and Sunset was spinning up Pure Leaf Press?
Somehow, Velvet seemed to sense Crystal's thoughts, because she chose that moment to lean in and nuzzle close. "Hey, um, when we get back. Maybe you can show me around?" Her gaze darted between the white floor and Crystal. "You know, around the Flower Foundation. Maybe there's something I can help out with, I don't know."
A brief flare of hope bloomed in her chest and Crystal nodded. "Absolutely!" She giggled and nodded her head toward the bed. "But, perhaps, for now we should focus on congratulating the new mother?"
"Oh, whatever, she's not a new mother." Velvet gave a playful roll of her eyes. "This is her second. It's basically old news already. Maybe if it was, like, twins or something interesting, I might care more."
"How rude," Horsey said with absolutely no conviction in her voice. "If that's how you're going to be, then you can just go. But leave the cake. I saw a cake, right?"
Claire's ears perked straight up. "Cake?"
Velvet moved around Crystal to the pile of gifts they had nearly forgotten, lifting up the boxed cake. "Yeah! Though, uh, ignore the message."
Horsey's brow furrowed and she took the box in her magic, a laugh escaping her when she opened it. "'Sorry We Forgot Your Foal'? Oh, you two are too sweet. Look, Amour, your first apology cake."
Amoureuse just snored in response, and they all laughed. Perhaps it was the birth of a new foal, the sweetness of the cake Savoir served, or Velvet's small but meaningful gesture of forgiveness, but the world suddenly seemed brighter to Crystal in that moment.
Raise your head up
Lift high the load
Take strength from those that need you
Build high the walls
Build strong the beams
A new life is waiting
This story is a part of the Crystal's Tales series in the Quill & Blade universe.
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Out of all the reasons she explained... this is pretty much the most important one.
Also, Crystal called Upper Crust Mom. I don't know if she did/didn't before, I imagine that would be back when Upper Crust had the realization about appreciating family when she met that veteran. But it was a significant moment for her and Wallflower, so I can't help but notice it.
I think we can fit another many in there.
Maybe two.
Verdy's been a calm voice of reason, but he has it tough too. :(
IS BABY
Uh-oh...
TO VELVET, DON'T CARE IF SHE'S BUSY.
DDDDD:
UH-OH
IS BABY!
Boy, what a chapter. I got scared for a moment there, what with Velvet's birthday. It's a toughy when they've grown so distant during the war. Funny how, as reader, I'm more sympathetic to Crystal. She's got so much going on, it's no wonder she can't keep track of everything. Gal needs a break.
Annd Crystal misses yet another meeting!
It's nice to see Horsey again, and the fact that they weren't *that* late in meeting the new foal. You'd think Pinkie would go "Oh, a foal cake? Is it for Horsey?" but the message on the cake is funnier this way
8290570
oh I bet she did say it... just Crystal’s current mush known as her brain did not process it well enough to understand...
Anyways greater chapter Thousands of D’AWWS and of course more of D.P. Pop, Omnimare
This is now my official definition of the color Orange. :D
Good grief, Crystal, please don't scare me like that! For a moment I began to worry that the reason Horsey hadn't said anything was because she had a miscarriage or something. So very glad that wasn't the case.
Whoop it updates
And no tragedy or copious amounts of mental anguish. Going to work without crying.
Also foals, a good day comes.
10/10 orange is the new black
Aww all the good days before the, eh hectic days, but sweet Horsey never changes.
Did you know that Orange is officially best colour? It gained the title after being named after best fruit once it was deemed awesome enough by a extra-extraordinary meeting of the UN Council on Awesome.
You write great children, Crystal. They make my soul feel like bubblegum.
Beautiful!
Born on the 10th of July, marking it on my calendar.
8290894
Two chapters in a row of goody-goody gumdrops =3 I'm not gonna lie, it's nice to see Crystal catch a break or two.
...
That said
*hides from the inevitable return of Orbital Sadness Bombardments*
Two babies in one chapter? You are spoiling us. Love the chapter Crystal!
Daaaawww! That last line did it for me. Quick, somebody give me a celery stick!
Well! I'm certainly overjoyed that my little Crusty has grown up and is no longer a pain in the ass, but honestly! Forgetting Velvet's birthday? Forgetting Horsey's foal?
What else have you forgotten, Crystal Wishes?
REMEMBER!
You're under oath!
8290562 Yes, that line is a small but sweet flag of their current relationship status. It's no longer "It's Complicated"! \o/
IS BAAABY
The sub-story between Velvet and Crystal would come across very differently if this was from Velvet's perspective. But I guess that could be said for just about any dynamic between two characters...
8290570 hahaha. In my head, Pinkie was babbling something like:
"Oh my gosh, you forgot a foal? How do you forget a foal! Did you leave them at the market? Did you go to the daycare center but left them at home? Gosh, that poor foal! Is it a colt or a filly? You don't know?
This is serious! Very serious! This calls for sprinkles, and I'll include them for free, no worries about that. You need all the help you can get if you forgot everything about a foal!!"
8290819 Dream Pop is best omnimare! \o/
8290888 Ohhh gosh!! I mean... I could totally see that, but nooo, no. I could never do that to Horsey. I'm not a monster D:
8290894 What! Who writes mental anguish! Certainly not me!
8291208 Horsey will always be the original sweetheart of Q&B
8291379 Heheheh. I had a feeling Mrs. Orange of Oranginton would show up and be pleased with the orange-ness of the chapter ;D
8291881 Uuu~ Bubblegum! I love it. I am pleased to stir the feelings of bubblegum soul!
8291897 Thank you! >3<
8292098 *sneezes* http://quillnblade.com/universe/equestrian-calendar Whoa! Where did that come from
8292128 Everything will be fine! Just like Dream Pop said. Goodbye bad days, hello good!
8292165 Right?! FOALS GALORES
8292631 NO! No celery stick! Look at the foal. LOOK AT IT!
8292721 She forgot your birthday, too! THE HORROR!
8292732
and after i was so very careful to remember her unbirthday im going to go cry and eat ice cream
8292731
Huh, so i was a month and 3 days off then. Considering i was going off of our calendar by release date of the chapter, that's not far off.
I actually really like that calendar, me thinks i'm gonna snag it to assist with my attempts at writing my own story. it'll help me figure out how to space stuff and give me a good idea at how often i'm making stuff happen. Gotta say though, looking at a calendar really makes you realize just how short a year is.
8292731
Don't worry. I know you're not. :) My mind just has a terrible habit of jumping to the worst conclusion possible in any given situation.
8292731
*Looks at foal again*. Gaaaa! Hgnnnn! *Keels over from cuteness overload*
I admit it, I actually laughed at that without any context at all. I love ya, Upper. I really do. But this support is a relatively new facet of your relationship and thus, much too early to cash in.
Oh this is delicious. Dream Pop vs Upper Crust. Poor Upper never stood a chance. Okay, yes, this technically is a stretch to say this is 1v1 (especially with Upper not bringing her A-game and so deftly outgunned) but even the potential face-off is B-E-A-Utiful.
Awwww. That mental image of Celestia taking a moment in her private rooms to go over the schedule with Raven while also tending to a little bundle of floof. It's the little things sometimes, yanno? And this little detail just hits all the right places. That being said, coming back off of maternity is rough no matter the circumstances. I know Raven is good at what she does and probably outclasses whoever was unfortunate enough to try to fill in, but I wish she'd been able to take a bit more time to
just enjoy her first childtry to catch enough sleep while the "adorable little babe" wakes up screaming for the third time in one night. Hmm, I think I might have gotten that strikeout reversed. Oh well.Well, at least Crystal isn't the only one forgetting her friends. Although, admittedly, it is quite easy to forget a friend who lives out of town. Even when that friend is pregnant with their second child. Also, gee time flies! Don't get me wrong, I certainly want the war to be over. And not just because I want Crystal's side of things from that other story.
Cardio, C-Dubs, c'mon. The most exercise you get can't just be picking up a pen. And the nurse's reaction is just the icing on the cake (not to be confused with the actual icing on the 'Sorry We Forgot Your Foal' cake, which is also hilarious) that is another scene where CW learns that she needs to start "Step"-ping up her exercising.
I swear, it's chapters like these that make me forget about everything a certain pair of writers has pulled with their stories. And I mean that in the nicest way possible! Super satisfying. 10/10 would read again.
Dream Pop is just a little too talented. Secret final villain? Secret final villain.
Hope, that's a good name for the times.
You know if it has been that long with no official birth announcement, there may be a reason. I'm not sure I'm expecting sudden home front tragedy with the pregnancy, but you never know...
On the other hand, they just bought the apology cake from Pinkie with a custom message. You'd think she would have said something if the message was about apologizing for missing the birth when instead there was a miscarriage. Pinkie would probably know the details, after all.
Huh, now there's some timing.
Now that trials is over I'm all I can do is wait for the next chapters of this
Amoureuse is my spirit pony i swear. all he wants to do is sleep, and it seems hes a sassy one already lol. This was a fun chapter. I cant wait for the next chapter.
ooooooo I'm so excited yet so mad that This WAR had to happen grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.....................
8319101 It is unfortunate but it has put Crystal through quite some growth in her life! Also, thank you for reading!! ^^
8296882 Oh my gosh, TAMmy, I can't believe I didn't reply sooner to let you know how much I enjoyed your comment ;~;
Yes, I love, love the image of stressed Celestia playing with Hope while Raven goes over the schedule (or falls asleep at her desk, and Celly just lets her sleep because she's got a little floofball to play with).
8296977 Final secret villain!!
Yeah, I was a little worried that there'd be too strong of a "something went wrong" vibe instead of a "life just gets busy and gets away from you". :< Hopefully I didn't worry too many people with that for too long.
8311365 Colts just wanna sleep in, oo-ooh colts, just wanna sleep in...
Thank Celestia we are one step closer to the end of the war
Noooo! I'm caught up! Update soon!
8383059
Seconded
I'm caught up already? Shiiit.
Even though they're still a little strained, it's nice to see Velvet and Crystal making nice again. I remember back in the first story and the ship tease was so prominent.
Always nice to see Horsey again, though I will admit that I forgot about her as well.
You always put out fantastic work. Looking forward to the next update!
MMMMMOOOOORRRRREEEE!!!!!!!!!!
(I love your story!)
Put the whole Quill and Sword universe down a couple of years ago only to pick it up again some weeks ago. And once again I am starving for more. I very much look forward to the result of Crystals story even though I've read Trails of a royal knight and know the overall outcome.
No need for reply.
Have a good day.
8397743
Thirded.
Is this story dead?
8577128
No.
8577442
Ahh any ideas when it might be updated again?
Velvet, you can’t just blame Silent for everything bad that happens, that’s not how this works.