Crystal Legacy - Generation 5 (Part 12)

 

Abandoned by her mother at an early age, Citrine has always been loved by her family and she loves them all the more in return. But even that love can't fill the hole inside of her, and chasing after her past only leads to more heartbreak.

Solana: So, to answer your question…it has been a busy, busy life. I have not had a moment to stop and look back in quite some time.

Citrine ….would you have? If you could have?

Solana: I have never really thought of it. Now, I suppose I do not have to. I have my answers.

Citrine: …yeah. Me too.

Solana: Come. We have a lot of ground to cover before sundown.

Amber: *sigh* Maybe there’s hope for you two yet…

That night, El Museo Cultural de Alam…

Pyro:  Kukulcán, known as the Feathered Serpent, was often seen as the patron God of  Rulers and Agriculture. His connection to the Watcher, known as La Miradora in Omiscan culture, has yet to be fully understood…

Eternal Glow:  Xiuhtecuhtli, whose name has been translated to mean Turquoise Lord,was the Omiscan God of Fire and Heat. Like the rest of the Omiscan Pantheon, his connection to The Watcher is as of yet undiscovered. Huh…are they all like that?

Moonflower: It looks like it. The calendar’s strange…it goes into BW times…

Peppermint; Huh. Before either Peteran or Jacoban worship got started…I wonder if there’s any connection between them at all.

Lucky Penny: What, you mean there was more than one Watcher?

Peppermint: more than one Creator, at least. That’s what it looks like…

-

Solana: Your friends are certainly interested.

Citrine: Yeah. There’s a lot we can learn from all this, I think. Us northerners aren’t the only ones to have a Creator, so why shouldn’t the Omiscans have had one before the Church got started?

Solana: Why not indeed.

Solana: Can you spare a moment? We need to speak of something in private.

Citrine: Sure. The courtyard?

Solana: That will do nicely.

Solana: Mr. Blast, I am borrowing Citrine for a moment. We will be back shortly.

Pyro: Of course.

Peppermint: Borrowing–Cit?

Citrine: So, what’s up?

Solana: I have a favor to ask of you. Perhaps the most important one I could ask.

Citrine: *chuckle* Sounds serious. Okay, lay it on me.

Solana: When you return home, please, do not contact me again.

Amber: Solana, don’t you dare—

Citrine: Wha–why not?!

Citrine: If this is because I yelled at you–

Solana: No. No, that is not it.

Citrine: Then what?! Why not–we just met? Why should this be where it ends?!

Solana: Because I…

Solana: I am not the mother you need.

Amber: You’re the only one she’s got are you kidding me right now?!

Citrine: But–you’re the only one I have!

Solana: No. I am…not your mother, Citrine. I carried you, and I will never regret that, but…I can only do you harm. You will be better off if we never speak again.

Citrine: Isn’t that half my choice?! I mean–we can’t just leave things like this!

Solana: We can. I will. You will be better off without me in your life, that much is clear. I am no mother, Citrine, you were right about that. Return to your fathers, your abuelas. Forget me, forget this place, and move on.

Citrine: …what if I don’t want to…

Solana: You will see this is best for you, with time.

Citrine: But I…

Amber: Watcher preserve me…where’s that dog when you need him to bite somebody….

Solana: Goodbye, Citrine….take care of yourself.

Citrine: I…*muffled sob*

Amber: Oh, Citrine…baby, I’m so sorry…

Citrine: *muffled sobs*

Peppermint: Cit? …that bad, huh?

Citrine: *sniff* Worse, actually. She said never to contact her again. That I’m…I’m better off without her.

Peppermint: Well, she’s not wrong, but…that’s not what you wanted.

Citrine: *sniff* No. It’s not.

Peppermint: Ah, geez…I’m sorry, Cit, I’m…I can punch her for you, if you want. I don’t mind getting in trouble, I–

Citrine: Pep, no. I…

Citrine: …I could really use a hug.

Peppermint; I can do that.

Peppermint: ….I’m really sorry, sis. I know how much this meant to you.

Citrine: The idea meant more…I forgot…I forgot she’s her own person and I…

Peppermint: I know. You still deserved better than…this.

Peppermint: I really will punch her for you.

Citrine: It wouldn’t change her mind. And *sniff* I don’t want you in trouble for me. Just…do me one thing?

Peppermint: Of course.

Citrine: Don’t tell Dad about this? I…I need to tell him myself.

Peppermint: *sigh* Okay. I won’t say a word.

Citrine: …thank you.

Two weeks later….

Nova: Citrine…

Citrine: I’m fine.

Pyro: I…really don’t know what to say, Mr. Crystal. I should have anticipated this.

Calcite:It’s alright, Pyro. We were prepared for this. You okay, baby?

Citrine: …yeah.

Nova: Oh, kiddo. What matters is you’re home now.

Pyro: Take some time off. We can talk about all of this when you’ve had some time to decompress.

Peppermint: Probably a good idea.

Calcite: A very good idea. Come on, you two. Let’s go home.

That night…

Calcite: She said that?! She actually told you to not–

Citrine: Ever contact her again. Yeah.

Calcite: That’s it. I’m going to Selva and I’m giving her a piece of my damn mind!

Citrine: ….don’t bother, Dad. It…it doesn’t matter.

Calcite: Of course it does! She hurt you–

Citrine: Dad. It’s done. We can’t…nothing we do will change her mine. Just…let it be. Please.

Citrine: I want to put it all behind me now. Please.

Calcite: ….okay. If that’s what you want. 

Citrine: I don’t know what I want. I wanted a mother but she didn’t want me and–*soft sob* I don’t know what to do….

Calcite: Come here. It’s okay, baby. I’ve got you.

Citrine: Daddy….

Calcite: I know. I know.

Citrine: Dad, why do people suck…

Calcite: They can only give what they have inside, baby.

Citrine: So she’s all bitter inside. Like a bad lemon.

Calcite: ….you could say that.

Calcite: But listen–no, look at me. Listen to me, Citrine. Whatever it is Solana does, or doesn’t do, that’s not on you. She’s made her own choices. It has nothing to do with you.

Citrine: …but I wasn’t good enough…she left me.

Calcite:: She did the best she possibly could for you, baby. She loved you, in her own way.

Calcite: Sometimes that’s all we can do. Sometimes, the best we can do for someone we love is let them go. Let them be in a better place than with us.

Citrine: And just leave? Never look back?

Calcite: Sometimes, that’s the only real option.

Calcite: But that’s a part of being a parent. Loving your child enough to do what’s right for them, even if it hurts at first.

Citrine: it really does…Dad? Promise you…promise you won’t leave?

Calcite: Not until I’m old and gray.

Calcite: And even then, I’ll be with you. Your Ma Amber, too.

Citrine: *sniff* …and promise you won’t go to Selva for this. She’s not worth it.

Calcite: We have different ideas of worth it, but…okay. I promise. I won’t get in a fight with Solana.

Citrine: *sniff* Thanks, Dad…Love you.

Calcite: I love you too.

The next morning…

Citrine: So, that happened. I think Dad still wants to punch her.

Saffron: I cannot blame him. I’m sure thinking about it.

Moonstone: Just point me in the right direction and I’ll do it.

Citrine: No, it’s fine, let’s just. Gram, you had that doctor’s appointment after we left, right? How’d it go?

Moonstone: It. Went.

Citrine: Well that sounds. Ominous.

Moonstone: It. *sigh* It’s complicated.

Saffron: And not great news, so maybe save it for when you’re more awake.

Citrine: Not great news? …Gram, what’s wrong?

Moonstone: …let’s wait until everyone’s awake. I’d rather not have to explain this more than once.

Citrine: W-wait, it’s that bad? Are you okay? What’s–is there’s anything we can do, I mean, we’re the same blood type right, so–

Moonstone: Citrine! It’s….it’s a lot. Just. Hold on a little bit, okay?

Saffron: Just…be prepared. We haven’t told your dads yet, either.

Citrine: Oh no…

All: Heart failure?!

Moonstone: Heart failure. The doctors said two, maybe three years before it’s terminal, but…yeah. My old ticker’s giving up the ghost.

Peppermint: But–how? I don’t understand–you’re so healthy!

Calcite: The accident. When you were their age–

Moonstone: Mmhm. Apparently surfing down a raging river and getting knocked around does a few bad things to a body. Who knew, huh?

Nova: Ma Moony…

Nova: Is a transplant not an option?

Moonstone: Pfft. For an old fart like me? With all my other issues, there’s a good chance I wouldn’t last the surgery anyway. And even then…

Saffron: Moony doesn’t want to take a good heart away from someone who’d get more use out of it.

Nova: But there’s bionic hearts, too. And Sixam has flash-cloning tech. It’d be your own heart regrown from scratch, no issues whatsoever.

Citrine: Gram, you have to take that!

Peppermint: It’s expensive, though…like, Diamond-tier health insurance expensive…

Moonstone: That’s…out of our reach, guys. And I would still have all those other issues to deal with, so it’s the same problem.

Saffron: We’ve thought about this for a while, guys. It’s…not great, but.

Calcite: But you’re just going to give up anyway? That’s it?

Moonstone: It’s not giving up! I’ve lived a good life. I wish it was longer, and I’m…I’m honestly not ready, but…

Peppermint: But fighting for it would be worse? If there’s even a chance–

Citrine: If there’s even a chance, you have to take it. Gram…

Moonstone: No. I won’t…I can’t risk doing that to all of you. Not like that. Not without a goodbye.

Peppermint: So dying slow and painful is better?

Calcite: Mama…

Nova: New med-tech’s coming out every year. Maybe next year there’ll be something better, or the year after that…

Citrine: …isn’t it worth trying?

Moonstone: It is, I just don’t want anyone getting their hopes up and having nothing come of it!

Nova: I can make some calls. Some of Dad’s contacts, maybe…

Calcite: Just promise you won’t give up without trying something. Please.

Moonstone: I promise. But, Cal…I’ve lived a good, long life. If this is how it ends, then…I can be happy with that. There are worse ways to go than knowing it’s coming!

Calcite: But if you can keep going, if you can keep fighting, then…

Nova: …sometimes there’s dignity in a quiet death, babe.

Moonstone: And I feel fine for now, anyway. We’ve got time left. Let’s make it count.

Citrine: Just like that?

Moonstone: Just. Like. That.

Citrine: This cannot be happening.

Peppermint: One thing after another…when does it stop?

Citrine: When we’re all dead, I guess…*sniff* Fudge, Pep…what do we do now?

Peppermint: What can we do? Gramoony made her choice, we can’t…we can’t take that away from her…

Peppermint: …but maybe we can find more options for her to choose from? Why doesn’t she want any surgeries?

Citrine: She’s scared she won’t make it off the table.

Peppermint: Okay, so we fix that first! Why wouldn’t she make it off the table?

Citrine: Ugh, I don’t know…she’s old?

Peppermint: She’s not that old! Okay, um…better diet? More exercise?

Citrine: You can’t exercise with a failing heart, Pep!

Peppermint: …ah, right, okay. Um…

Citrine: There’s…nothing we can do.

Peppermint: …that can’e be true. It just can’t be. We…she’s not old enough to die yet…

Citrine: Ma wasn’t much older then we are when she died…

Peppermint: Yeah but that was an accident…this is…this is an old person problem…Gramoony’s not old…

Citrine: Old enough. *sniff*

Peppermint: Cit…

Citrine: …if she’s decided…we can’t change her mind.

Peppermint: Not change it, just…

Citrine: ….we’re going to have to let her go, Pep. She’s made up her mind. 

Peppermint: You don’t really mean that…do you?

Citrine: ….I don’t know, Pep…I just…I can’t think of anything we can do…*sniff* Watcher…this sucks.

Peppermint: …yeah. It really does.

that evening…

*knock on door*

Moonstone: Come in! 

Calcite; Hi, Mama. D’you have a minute.

Moonstone: Always. Hmm, now what could this be about…

Calcite: Have you…are you really…you really won’t go for a transplant?

Moonstone: Oh, Cal.

Moonstone: Sweetheart, the odds of anyone surviving that major a surgery aren’t great. When you pair that with my age, and everything else wrong with me…

Calcite: You don’t even want to try?

Moonstone: Calcite. Listen to me: It’s not that I want to die, to leave you, it’s that…that I want to spend what time I have left with my family, in my home, knowing that I love you and I’m loved, too. I don’t want to cut that short on a chance that’s no better than a coin flip!

Calcite: But there’s ways to make those odds better, there’s–

Moonstone: Cal. I already decided.

Calcite: ..so that’s it. We’re just supposed to…to let go?

Moonstone: Everyone dies eventually, Cal. My time’s just come up a little quicker than we thought, that’s all.

Calcite: Mama…

Moonstone: No. This is my choice, Cal. I’m not going to waste time I can spend with all of you fighting for it.

Calcite: But you can fight for more time, for–

Moonstone: I know a losing battle when I see one. *snort* You know what I mean.

Calcite: …

Moonstone: …none of us get to choose how long we have in this life, baby. The doctors were so sure I should have died when I was Citrine’s age, but I’m still here now,and I’ll be here for a little while longer. All we can do is cherish that time, alright?

Calcite: ….I’m not ready for you to go…

Moonstone: Oh, Cal…there’s still some time, baby. We can get ready together.

Calcite: Mama, I…

Moonstone: I know, sweetheart. I know.

Oceana: Missing you, girls!

Candy Corn: Shut up, you’re in Sulani! You get that tan and then we can talk about missing people.

Rose: Says the one on a space station! Cit, tell me you’re back.

Citrine: Home safe and sound! Not missing those mosquitoes.

Oceana: Oh! Found this article from the Museo–that’s your mother?

Citrine: …my carrier, yeah.

Oceana: Yikes.

Candy Corn: Wait, hang on. You met your carrier? How’d it go?

Citrine: Bad.

Rose: Uh, yeah? Article’s saying she’s the most eligible bachlorette in Selva! No mention of kids! Talk about a bad mom.

Citrine: ….let someone else have her. I’m done with that.

Candy Corn: ooooooh boy. did you punch her?

Citrine: No. Pep offered, so did Dad, but. No.

Oceana: Double yikes. No more on this subject, yeah?

Citrine: Plz.

Candy Corn: I gotta go, anyway. Breaktime over!

Rose: No going on an unsupervised EVA, CC!

Candy Cane: ♥ u 2, rosie. cu, girls!

Oceana: See you! 

Rose: That girl. Oh, guys, stay outta Twinbrook for a while. Straaaannnge plants in those swamps, don’t wanna get grabbed, ya know?

Citrine: Thanks for that image, Rosie. Be safe!

Rose: Always. ♥

Oceana: And gone. Welp, I should hit the sack, too. Early start tomorrow.

Citrine: Kay. NIght! ♥

Citrine: *sigh*

Corona: Oof…poor Citrine. I can’t even imagine how she’s feeling.

Peppermint: Yeah, it’s…a lot. …how’s Spearmint?

Bit ‘Mint: Doing better. *chuckle* Passing her first EVA lessons already.

Corona: Oh, speaking of–did you get the email we forwarded you about that training program?

Peppermint: Huh–oh, yeah, just…you know, summer trip and we just got back…

Corona: Pep, it’s important. You can’t come out here without passing that training.

Peppermint: I know, I just–

Peppermint: Mom, Dad, there’s something–

*offscreen* Spearmint: Dad! I need help with this stupid suit!

Big ‘Mint: Just a minute, honey! I’m sorry, son, you were saying?

Peppermint: …never mind. We can talk about it next time.

Corona: Okay. Love you, kiddo!

Peppermint: ….love you, too.

Peppermint: *sigh*

Peppermint: ….family sucks sometimes, doesn’t it.

Citrine: Pff. You’re asking me?

Citrine:….I think I like the whole…family’s who you choose thing better. Remember, from those old shows we used to watch?

Peppermint: Yeah. …we’re no Star Guardians, but…I think we did okay. With each other, I mean.

Citrine: …yeah. Me, too.

The next day…

Citrine: Guys, I…I want to apologize. I must have made things awkward for you in Selva.

Pyro: Not even slightly. Solana was entirely professional, and you kept…it together. Are you sure you’re okay?

Citrine: Not…not really, but. 

Peppermint: Okay enough.

Citrine: Yeah.

Moonflower: I don’t want to know how…if my Mom treated me like that, I’d freak.

Lucky Penny: It’s not too late, you know. We can post scathing reviews of her on Simbook and stuff…

Citrine: No, it’s fine. I just want to move on.

Eternal Glow: Can we? Like, there’s no trouble from all of this?

Pyro: What sort of trouble would there be? Bad as things might have gone, everyone stayed professional. Reporting someone for being emotional isn’t really done anymore, and even if it was…you’re still just kids. There’s hardly a manager to report you too!

Eternal Glow: Not us, her! We really can’t do anything about her being a total–

Citrine: EG! Please, guys, just…let it go, okay? It’s done, it’s over. We’ve got other stuff to work on now.

Lucky Penny: Citrine…

Eternal Glow: Ugh, fine. What’s next on the schedule.

Pyro: Internships and first placement tests.