Silver's Sims: Crystal Legacy - Generation 5 (Part 15)

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.

*train whistle blows*

Citrine: So what happens if we miss the train?

Fern: We’d have to stay here overnight, which is…heh, a really really bad idea.

Fern: There’s no safe place for us here, especially since you’re with a Hunter.

Citrine: Vampires hate you that badly?

Fern: Wouldn’t you hate the people that attack your people? Even if it’s just to defend others, it can still…get complicated.

Citrine: …yeah. I bet it does.

???: Well well. What have we here. A group of humans…and a little Huntress in training.

Citrine: *gasp*

Fern: Stay behind me–we were just leaving.

???: I can see that. A shame…Lady Shadow would have loved to have you over for dinner.

Fern: I’m sure she would have. Please, pass our condolences to your Lady.

???: well, at least you have manners. And what of you, girl? Are you…hm…

Citrine: Fern, what is she–

Fern: Leave it. We won’t overstay our welcome, Lady…

Aconite: Aconite, in service to Lady Sanguine Shadow. And you are?

Fern: A Huntress in training. Who is leaving now.

Aconite: Oh, please, there’s no need for such a quick exit! We really would love to have you over for dinner…

Aconite: Really, Blue Moon should have extended an invitation before letting you at those musty books…

Fern: Maybe next time, Lady Aconite.

Fern: But really. We’re leaving. So, if you’ll excuse us…

Aconite: Oh, if you insist. But please, the next time you’re in town…do come by. We always love meeting the…new blood.

Eternal Glow: Are you guys–

Fern: Everyone on the train. Now.

Aconite: ….I do wonder…

Late that night…

Moonstone: A vampire?! You met a Vampire?!

Citrine: Met is kind of a strong word, but…yeah. We did.

Moonstone: Wow. I knew they existed, I mean, but…wow.

Saffron: What was she like?

Peppermint: Very scary looking! She wasn’t too happy, either.

Citrine: I don’t think she liked Fern being there very much.

Citrine: She kept trying to get us to…come over “for dinner”.

Peppermint; Probably to be dinner.

Saffron: Well, at least she didn’t attack you. But…wow. Vampires. On Maxis. What next, an Accord with them?

Nova: That’s not that crazy an idea, you know. We do share a planet with them!

Moonstone: We do. So, did you find what you were looking for?

Citrine: Sort of. We found a few leads, but nothing really concrete.

Moonstone: What is it you’re looking for, anyway? You didn’t say.

Peppermint: Well, it’s…it’s kind of complicated, but right now we’re looking for the Spirit Willow.

Ori: *startled woof*

Moonstone: The what?

Calcite: That sounds like something out of Gramma Spinel’s stories, you two.

Citrine: Stories–oh! Oh, you’re right! That’s why it sounded so familiar…

Peppermint: Maybe Gramma knew something about it! Are her notes still around?

Calcite: Sure, on her old flash drives by the towers. But, Pep, that was just a story. She came up with herself.

Peppermint: S-sure, but every story has some truth to it, so maybe…

Citrine: It wouldn’t hurt to look.

Saffron: No, but…why would you want to? What’s this about, you two?

Peppermint: It…um…

Calcite: It’s complicated?

Peppermint: …yeah.

Calcite: And you can’t explain it yet?

Peppermint: …yeah.

Citrine: But we’ll be able to, someday. Once we find what we need.

Citrine: So don’t worry about us, okay?

Calcite: I wasn’t going to, but since you brought that up…

Peppermint: *breathy laugh* We’re…we’re okay, really. It’s just…there’s a lot of moving parts here, and we don’t really have them all yet so…

Moonstone: So you can’t really explain it yet. That’s fine, just…don’t let it consume you entirely, alright? Don’t go so deep you can’t come back.

Citrine: We’ll be fine, Gram, really.

Calcite: …and let us know if you need help, okay?

Calcite: Whatever this is, it’s clearly important to you both. You know we’ll help if we can.

Peppermint: We know, Uncle.

Citrine: And we will let you know! Just…not right now.

Citrine: Right now, we need more pieces first. Then…well, we’ll deal with then…then.

Moonstone: *sigh* You are…just like your mother.

The next day…

Pyro: So, I’ve gotten your first internship reports back. Everyone adjusting well?

Lucky Penny: Oh, totally.

Moonflower: Some of us better than others!

Lucky Penny: Oh, come on. You’ve been having fun!

Moonflower: …okay, fine, it’s fun.

Pyro: *laugh* See? All you have to do is try. And you two?

Eternal Glow: Better than fun. I had no idea you could make robots do so many things!

Peppermint: Hey, I told you we could get it to work!

Pyro: Let me tell you, that report was fun to read. I haven’t heard an Internship Supervisor so flummoxed in a long time! How was the mission commander’s face?

Peppermint/Eternal Glow: Could have caught a fly.

Moonflower: What did you two do?!

Citrine: *laugh* Built a robotic arm for a space ship module that a whole crew of engineers couldn’t do.

Moonflower: Oh, well, in that case writing short stories is nothing!

Fern: It’s not nothing! Stories make life really fun, too. And they can teach us stuff we’d never learn in a classroom, too.

Moonflower: Okay, flatterer.

Fern: I”m serious! What do they call them…aesops? Those are important! Even if we don’t…really see it then.

Citrine: Speaking from experience?

Fern: Heh, some. And I’ve heard my uncle give us way too many, so.

Pyro: So you’re all learning. No adjustments needed?

Peppermint: Not on my part, or on Citrine’s.

Eternal Glow: Nah, I’m good.

Moonflower: Miss Cocoa Bean’s a harsh critic…but her praise is even better. I’m good.

Lucky Penny: And I’m great. So we’re good!

Pyro: Good! Now, we’re still a year out from Final Placements, but I want you kids to knuckle down and focus. We’ll be doing the exam here, but if you have any projects you’d like to bring to that, I can have them sent to the scoring teams.

Citrine: Ooh! Moony, you should write a novel!

Moonflower: Pfft! Girl, you’re nuts. A full novel? I’m not there yet! Maybe a novelette, but…

Lucky Penny: What’s the difference?

Moonflower: Word count, plot expectations, timelines…

Eternal Glow: Hey, we should build a rover!

Peppermint: We could! There’s enough scrap…

Pyro: Good, good. Keep brainstorming like that!

Citrine: And what about you? What’re your plans, Fern?

Fern: Oh, uh….I don’t…really have any. I mean, I’m probably gonna get high athletic scores, but. Well, family business and all that.

Citrine: What, you don’t get a job on top of it?

Fern: Nope. It’s this or nothing.

Pyro: Well, we can still work with that. I can speak with your parents–

Fern: No, no! It’s fine. Really. I’m good.

Pyro: …if you’re sure.

Pyro: Though that does leave you, Citrine. Any plans?

Citrine: Nah. I’m just building my portfolio, so maybe that can count?

Pyro: No reason it can’t. And Spangle’s been singing your praises for weeks, so…*laugh* Penny? Any ideas?

Lucky Penny: I’m building a solar array that charges at 150% speed than our current ones.

Citrine: Ooh, sign us up for those! Our power bill is nuts in the summer.

Lucky Penny: *laugh* You guys can be our test dummies. Is it okay if it’s submitted under a team effort, Mr. Pyro?

Pyro: So long as you’re on that team, absolutely. My dad would have said “unit cohesion is a skill too, son.” so…so you’re good.

Pyro: Honestly…*happy sigh* I’m proud of you kids. You’re going to go places, I just know it.

After school…

Lucky Penny: So if we can hook up the array, then…

Peppermint: It’s designed to be a solar shield so it may as well get extra charge while it’s up there…

Eternal Glow: Hey, let me know if you need a prompt generator. I bet I can program you one in a day or two.

Moonflower: Oh, that’d be awesome, thank you!

Citrine: …you really don’t have any plans of your own?

Fern: Nope. My whole life’s been planned for me.

Citrine: because of the hunter thing?

Fern: Yep. That, and Uncle Mantis is big on “knowing what you’re doing before you do it”. Pfft. His Dad did it to him and Dad, and his Dad did it to his son….it’s all pretty rigid. The del Drakons are big on lineage and structure.

Citrine: But what if you want different? What if there’s another way?

Fern: It’s left behind. Master Chronos is…*sigh* He’s the Patriarch, and what he says goes, and he’s never changed. Even Vita’s never been able to change his mind, and he’s supposed to be this…super important, prophesied Hunter or something.

Citrine: uh…okay?

Fern: Sorry. All that to say, no. I can’t decide differently, even if I wanted to.

Citrine: Oh. …that sucks.

Fern: ..yeah. It does.

Citrine: …so does that mean that…after we graduate you’ll be leaving town?

Fern: Probably. From how Dad and Uncle Mantis keep leaving, I know the Well isn’t anywhere around the Springs, so…once I’m out, we’re going to it.

Citrine: …oh.

Citrine: And are you…okay with that?

Fern: ….it doesn’t matter.

Citrine: Yes it does!

Citrine: Fern, what you want matters. It’s your life! Why don’t you get a say in it?

Fern: Because it’s not just my life. My life, the life of any Hunter, belongs to the world. We go where we’re needed.

Citrine: You’re seventeen!

Fern: And a Hunter in training. It’s not just me, sunshine.

Citrine: So you’re just going to let them up end everything you know? For what? A stuffy old well?

Fern: …yeah. Maybe when the Guardians take council things will be different but for now…yeah.

Citrine: That’s not okay! Fern, you have a right to decide what you want to do with your life! It’s your life!

Fern: If I want to stay with my family, I have to do what they say! And I don’t want to lose them, either, so.

Citrine: Fern…

Citrine: …hey. I’m sorry, I just…I’ll miss you, you know? You’re my best friend, and I…

Fern: We’ll write. And email. And call and–

Citrine: It wouldn’t be the same.

Citrine: And I just want you to be happy, so…

Fern: …I know. I know, sunshine, I just…

Citrine: Family’s important. I get it. Just…remember that you’re important too, okay?

Fern: I’m really not.

Citrine: Well, you are to me. Let Mantis be his mean self somewhere else for a while.

Fern: *laugh* Okay, okay.

Fern: …so I’m your best friend, huh?

Citrine: Yeah. You are. I love you. You know that, right?

Fern: I do. I love you too, Cit.

Later…

Moonflower: Come on, EG, I can take it!

Eternal Glow: ….I hate this part!

Fern: Well, get used to it! Not hitting someone just ‘cause they’re a pretty face is a fast way to die!

Citrine: Oh, we’re pretty faces, are we?

Fern: Very pretty face–

Fern: Oof–good use of distraction!

Citrine: You said to take openings!

Fern: I also said not to grapple–hey!!

Moonflower: Come on, EG! Fight like you mean it!

Eternal Glow: oof!

Fern: Whoa whoa whoa—

Fern: Citrine, stop!

Fern: …I yield. I give. You win.

Citrine: I…wait what.

Fern: You win. You got me.

Citrine: Oh. I…oh wow. I actually got you.

Fern: You did. *laugh* Where’d you learn to tackle like that?

Citrine: I had a good teacher.

Fern: I didn’t teach you that move. But it was a good move. …hey, can I ask you something?

Citrine: Hm?

Fern: Would you come to a movie with me tonight?

Citrine: A movie? Like…a date?

Fern: Like a date. I-it can be as friends, no pressure, just.

Citrine; i’d love to.

Fern: As friends or…

Citrine: …maybe more. Probably more.

Fern: Oh.

Fern: How long have you–

Eternal Glow: Oh, Watcher, get a room!

Moonflower: SHH!

Fern & Citrine: *laughter*

Fern: So, sevenish?

Citrine: Seven. The outdoor theater or..

Fern: Outdoor’s good. They’re showing Azure Moonlight, so.

Citrine: Oh, I love that movie…hey, Fern?

Fern: Hm?

Citrine: You let your guard down!

Fern: Wha–hey!

*everyone laughs*

That evening…

Citrine: Hm…flats or heels…flats, definitely flats.

Citrine: I hope this isn’t too short…makeup? Nah, no time. Maybe a little blush…there we go.

Citrine: Not bad, Crystal…not bad at all.

Nova: Well, who do we have here?

Saffron: A very pretty young lady, that’s who. Nervous?

Citrine: Sort of?

Citrine: I mean, it’s Fern, so I shouldn’t be, but.

Saffron: First date jitters?

Citrine: Y-yeah.

Nova: *laugh* Your Dad and I had those, too. It’s normal.

Nova: Just be yourself, and have fun! I’m sure nothing bad will happen, but if it does…

*knock on door*

Citrine: I have my phone love you bye!

Citrine: nothing bad’ll happen. It’s just Fern.

*door opens, closes*

Fern: Well, hello stranger.

Citrine: Hello yourself. You clean up real nice, you know.

Fern: Why thank you. But I think you win that prize, so…may I?

Citrine: May you…oh. Oh, yeah…I’d love to.

Fern: I was thinking, movie and then ice cream after? There’s a diner down the street from the theater…

Citrine: I’d love to. But I’m paying for mine.

Fern: *laugh* Hey now, I love an independent woman!

*end credits music playing*

Citrine: I love this movie so much.

Fern: I know what you mean.

Fern: There’s just something so..hopeful about it. How things can get better even when they seem so terrible.

Citrine: And how the friends we make along the way can help us, too.

Fern: And it sure helps they chose some really nice looking actors.

Citrine: *laugh* Fern…*sigh*

Fern: Hey, what’s up?

Citrine: Nothing, just…happy endings make me weepy?

Fern: Nothing wrong with that.

Citrine: Oh, it’s stupid.

Fern: Nah. First time I saw it, I was bawling after the timeskip! That poor prince…

Citrine: And the professor…oh, don’t make me start again!

Fern: No, no waterworks! …even if these are…happy tears?

Citrine” *laugh* These are happy tears, my friend. Very happy tears.

Fern: Good. Now, come on. Ice cream awaits!

Fern: So, uh…this is probably a dumb question but was this a…friend date or a more date?

Citrine: Hm…

Citrine: Honestly that depends.

Fern: On?

Citrine: On what you want it to be.

Fern: Oh so it’s my decision, huh?

Ctrine: Well…half of it? But, uh…

Citrine: This is really gonna be a dumb question but. Um…how long?

Fern: How long…what?

Citrine: How long have you…liked me.

Fern: Well we were friends within a month but–

Citrine: Fern…

Fern: *laugh* Sorry. Ah, geez…how long? Pff…months. Years, even.

Citrine: Years? Why didn’t you say something?

Fern: I didn’t want to ruin what we had. You, Citrine Crystal, are one of the most important people in my life. Best friends, girlfriends…doesn’t matter. I don’t want to lose you, and if you didn’t feel the same, well…

Citrine: Fern…

???: Did she say Crystal?

Citrine: Fern, you wouldn’t have ruined anything. I…

???: She did!

Citrine: I…*nervous laugh* Watcher, my heart’s racing…

Fern: It’s okay, you know. You don’t have to feel the same way, I just…I don’t want to lose you, so. I didn’t say anything, and…well. Even if how is one-sided, I still love you.

Citrine: Fern, it’s not–