Original Character
To Mineral, there was an uncomfortable air between him and Rarity. The mare accompanying him simply smiled at the flushed stallion who refused to look her in the eyes. “So that’s why you won’t let Sugar hold you,” Rarity hummed. Her hooves played with a small coffee mug as if to mold it into something else.
Mineral took in a deep breath in, the cafe’s atmosphere thick with a mesh of brewed coffee. “Yeah, that’s why,” he muttered.
Rarity’s smile quickly rose her cheeks. “You really are such a sweet stallion.”
“I’m serious!” Mineral exclaimed, then shied away. “I really am afraid that if she hugs me…”
Mineral stared at the cinnamon crumble cake he ordered. It remained untouched, and yet, the desert already had many crumbs littered around its base. “She just can’t, Rarity.”
Rarity let her smile falter but maintained a positive visage. “In my opinion, I think the opposite will happen if she does give you what you fear.”
Mineral managed to flick his gaze to Rarity. “Believe me when I say I want Sugar to hold me. Maybe I am being afraid of nothing. However, at the same time, I believe Sugar is worrying over nothing, but she is treating my feud between myself and Saradiamond to a degree I am not comfortable with.”
“I can most certainly say that Sugar does have a reason to be scared,” Rarity said, her grin no longer existent. “She doesn’t want to have to pick a side. But between you and me, I am more on your side than Saradiamond’s.”
Having a supporter certainly boosted Mineral’s mood. “Ponies do tend to sway toward the less aggressive; unless the aggressive motives and tactics are viewed as justified.”
Rarity batted a hoof, “No need to be technical. I know what you mean.”
Rarity lifted her mug with her magic and lightly knocked it on the table. “I think it is time we conclude our friendship business. I suggest you talk to both Steadfast and Sugar, preferably later on today.”
“No angry Saradiamond comment?” Mineral grinned.
“I’m… going to discuss matters with her later. I must admit that you two took a good step forward in solving Sugar’s concerns. If there is one thing I am certain about Saradiamond is that she cares about Sugar dearly. Last night was a massive indication of that.”
The stallion levitated his crumb cake, hovering it in front of his mouth. “Then my priorities should be in the following order: discuss matters with Steadfast, have my talk with Sugar, and contemplate with Saradiamond about how to ease Sugar’s worries.”
Rarity nodded in agreement, “That sounds like a wonderful plan.”
Mineral’s ears retreated. “I do know what I want to discuss with Sugar, but what about Steadfast? How do I approach him? I didn’t leave him on good terms.”
“Steadfast does miss his friend,” Rarity said. “I think a simple ‘how have things been’ question would be a good start. And slowly, ease into why you’re upset with him.”
A frown slipped from behind Mineral’s facade. “Okay,” he muttered before taking a tiny bite from the snack.
Rarity knew going from personal matters to a discussion of business would be a sudden jolt in conversation. There was more she wanted to learn from Mineral, no doubt, but there were matters only he and Steadfast could discuss.
“I want to discuss what lured me to wish for your audience, Mineral,” Rarity said with flowery business vocabulary. “Regardless of friendship issues or not, your product, the Crystal Coat, certainly did speak loud, and showed even greater when I saw some acquaintances suddenly transformed into crystal ponies.”
No longer showing the need to hold up shields, Mineral changed moods in an instant and responded in kind, “Was it a trio of mares?”
“Why yes. Did they manage to run into your products and ask who made them or maybe you met them through idle talk and referred to your profession?”
A funny thought made the stallion laugh. Mineral placed the crumb cake on his plate and looked at it. “I’m sure you read the article in Morganite’s Mission.”
“I did,” Rarity said. “It was a very sweet story.” She added a small wink before continuing. “In more ways than one.”
“Well, to thank Sugar for her considerate thoughts, I gave her a bottle of my Crystal Coat. She heavily reminded me of Nebula, so I made sure to give Sugar a mango-scented bottle.”
“Aww!” Rarity couldn’t resist giggling at the cute continuation of Mineral and Sugar’s story. Her ear flicked, remembering the root of their talk. “Does this tie in with how Roseluck and her friends came to learn about your Crystal Coat?”
“It does,” Mineral nodded. “After Sugar and I parted, she applied it and went back to her job. However, Sugar was encountered by some overly enthusiastic mares and flustered her with questions. Sugar immediately retreated to my home and asked for my help; though, at the time, I thought Sugar was trying to attempt to hug me due in part of how our friendship was conceived and approached her with caution.”
“Hehe!” Rarity shook her head, “Sorry, continue.”
“It’s fine.” Mineral’s face reddened. “I find it nice to reflect on nostalgia. Sugar looked beautiful that day.”
“Stop with the adorable story, you!” Rarity protested with smiles. “We’re talking about business, remember!”
“You asked about how your acquaintances learned about my Crystal Coat,” Mineral countered. “I’m just leading into them with an origin story. Besides, mares do love a cute story.”
“You certainly have one mare loving it so far,” Rarity said.
“The ‘good part’ is basically over.”
There was a dip in Rarity’s smile. “How tragic.”
“Don’t worry, Rarity. That very same day ended on a very-” Mineral closed his eyes, his happiness growing just as fast as his blush bled through his face. “It was a good day. I made a great friend and a good chunk of profit.”
“And profit is something I wish to negotiate,” Rarity said, her goal so clearly in view. “Are you willing to compromise?”
With all thoughts of the past gone, Mineral observed Rarity. A small piece of crumb cake was picked off with a magical pull. “Propose what you have in mind.”
A very excited subconscious cheered inside Rarity’s mind. She was one hoofstep in with what she was after. But it was an uphill battle; convincing a pony to allow their brand into a store requires precise wording. “I wish to sell some Crystal Coat products in my stores. An order of, say, twenty bottles per store.”
“Remind me how many stores you have, Rarity,” Mineral said slowly.
“Three,” Rarity answered.
Mineral clamped down on the levitating chunk of crumb cake. “Take your time with your answer,” Rarity said. “I’m not expecting an immediate response. In fact, give yourself as much time as you need.”
The crystal pony chewed slowly, his thoughts digesting both the suggestion given to him and the mix of flavors that sat on his tongue. When he finished his first bite, Mineral said, “That’s quite the order…”
“Is it too much?” Rarity asked.
“That depends on a few factors.” Mineral leaned his back against the wooden chair. The joints in the shaped wood squeaked from his pressure. “Do you have a time frame and are you planning on having a long or short-term investment with my product?”
“I know you work alone, thanks to Saradiamond and Steadfast confirming that through their story about you, so I won’t put a timeframe around your neck,” Rarity answered.
The creases on Mineral’s forehead bend downward, “I see.” Another piece of crumb cake hovered into Mineral’s mouth, the chunk much larger than the first.
“Take your time.” Rarity wondered if her proposal was too much and if her eagerness got the best of her. She knew what was and wasn’t a good product; her twinkling fur was a testament to how she was very interested in selling bottles of Crystal Coat. Rarity wanted to share Mineral’s creation while also obtaining a small margin of profit as well.
“Not to blow my own trumpet,” Mineral started, “but I know my products will fly off your shelf. Non-crystal ponies will adore the Crystal Coat and want one in an instant.”
“That should be a good thing,” Rarity said with a nod of agreement.
“And it would also create a demand; a demand I am not so eager to put myself through again…” Discomfort bled all throughout Mineral’s face. Muscles in his jaws were tense, brows were furrowed, and a mouth with a low hanging frown. “I would gain a lot from this investment. But the time it would take just to make one is a bit of an investment on top of all other orders I have been committed to.”
“Do you have customers like myself?” Rarity asked.
“As in somepony who buys in huge bulk?”
“Yes.”
Mineral shook his head, “No. I have managed my business through single orders, to sellin a good hoofful of product; every customer has a limit to what they can buy.”
The answer was already before Rarity. “Then it must be a ‘no’ from you.”
“For now…”
Denial was not something Rarity wanted to hear. However, the answer had a curious tickle to it. “‘For now’ you say?”
“Correct,” Mineral answered. “I honestly expected that you wished to buy several items for personal use, and I was prepared to propose my Empress Bundle for you; it's complete with varying bath soaps, shampoos, oils, and an arrangement of other items.”
“Ooo,” Rarity hummed and almost asked about each item that came with the offer. With a gentle clear of the throat, she collected her thoughts and asked, “Does it take a long time to make the Crystal Coat?”
Mineral chuckled, “Would you be surprised if I told you that the dispensing takes the longest?” Mineral gestured to Rarity’s shining coat. “You remember the texture of the soap and how the viscosity is very dense?”
“I do,” Rarity said. “It was almost like honey, except much-less sticky, and I can assume less tasty as well.”
Both Mineral and Rarity laughed a the joke. “Yes, my products are not for consumption. But anyways, because of its density, dispensing it into a bottle is dreadfully slow. I’ve had to spend hours staring at bottles once the dispensing began. Never do I allow a single drop get wasted.”
Mineral blinked at his snack a few times. “The old me would have snatched up the offer in an instant. The thrill of massive gains stimulates my working self. But after what has happened to Nebula, you can assume my rejection. If there is one thing I fear, it’s relapse.”
It was funny to Rarity that no matter how much she tried to sway off topic, Mineral's friendship problem mission recoiled back into the discussion. “Sugar certainly had changed your world,” Rarity said.
“And I’d want to keep her into my world,” Mineral added. “However...”
Rarity’s ear flicked. “‘However’ what, dear?”
A heavy sigh puffed out Mineral’s nostrils. “As much as I love Sugar, I cannot ignore my business. I’ve pondered the possibility of opening a physical store and having a location here in the Crystal Empire. There is the issue of where do I start.”
“I am surprised you haven’t done any research on the matter.” Rarity took a sip of her coffee and asked, “There must be a reason why.”
Another sigh escaped the crystal pony, the second act being through his teeth. “It was pride in the past. I wanted to be the only one for my accomplishments; to be a pony who does it all and be looked at in a positive light that motivates others. No doubt are you in some way impressed with my ability to work alone.”
“But of course,” Rarity said. “I know exactly what you are feeling. I love to run my dress over the manikin and say, ‘Why yes, I did make this.’”
“Too bad I was too blind by pride that I forgot who offered me my sponsorship: Nebula.” Mineral’s pupils gravitated onto the aluminum table. “Today, my biggest fear is not pride, but relapse as mentioned before. If I create a store, there is a chance I may return to my original character. I do not want to repeat the past for as long as I live.”
Rarity saw the pure terror upon Mineral. She knew her past ails would never compete with his. All Rarity could do was understand that Mineral reflects on what was and the pain he brought.
“I do have a question about the modern day, Rarity,” Mineral said.
It took a moment to remember that Mineral was from 1000 years ago. “What is it dear?”
When Mineral gazed back up at Rarity, there was desperation in his light-violet eyes. “Are there any inventions that exist that might aid my business? Was there anything created in the Crystal Empire's absence that may shave off time?” The crystal pony gestured to a street light that stood independently in the sun.“We may have found a means of conducting electricity so long ago, but there are some things that the empire’s best and brightest couldn’t invent.
“When I ask about an invention that could help me with speeding up the process of creating, say, the Crystal Coat because of how thick it is, think of something like an electric-powered oven with a bunch of knobs.”
“Does the Crystal Coat need to be heated?” Rarity asked.
“Oh no, not at all,” Mineral reassured. “Room temperature is just enough. What I need is faster dispensing. Sitting and waiting for thick soap to dribble into a bottle is monotonous. If I had an invention like that, I would take your offer in a heartbeat. With a tool that can dispense liquids at a faster rate, it would not only increase production but also…” Mineral looked down the street, “...there would be more time for Sugar.”
An excited shiver ran down Rarity’s spine. “Mineral!” the mare exclaimed much louder than she wished. Rarity cleared her throat a little before resuming. “Forgive me, Mineral. I got a little carried away because of your sweet character.”
“Umm… thanks?” Mineral muttered.
“It’s also because I have an answer to your problem. Have you ever heard of an assembly line?”
Both Rarity and Mineral were filled with excitement, their expressions identical. “Tell me!” Mineral said with enthusiasm and followed with taking a massive bite out of his crumble cake.
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This was an awesome chapter! It definitely shows more layers behind Mineral's character.
I'm glad to see Mineral might have a solution to his situation.
I have to be honest, I'm interested to get back to Saradiamond and see what's been going on with her. Also a meeting between Mineral and Stead Fast would be pretty interesting, I look forward to the next chapter no matter how long it may take! 
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You certainly put your username to practice D:
And thus, the crystal empire industrial revolution has started.
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9568717
LOUD NOISES!!!