Silver's Sims: Crystal Legacy - Generation 5 (Part 16)

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.

Citrine: That’s why I need you to know something. Before anything else–before your Uncle moves you all, before Gram gets sicker…I need you to know one thing. Okay?

Fern: I’m listening.

Citrine: Fern?

Fern: Yeah?

Citrine: Your feelings are not one-sided.

*both laughing breathily)

Citrine: That definitely proves it, huh?

Fern: Yeah…it does. Watcher, I love you.

Citrine: I love you, too. So much. You–

Nova, from inside: Curfew’s in five, Citrine!

*both laugh*

Citrine: Pop….

Fern: It’s cool. I’ve gotta go, anyway, so…

Citrine: So…

Fern: this makes us girlfriends, yeah?

Citrine: Yeah. It does.

Fern: Okay then. See you tomorrow, babe.

Citrine: heh…see you tomorrow, babe.

Citrine: Safe walk!

Fern: hey, it’s me! Careful’s all I know!

Citrine: …I am the luckiest girl right now.

Nova: Hey, kiddo. Date went well?

Citrine: Date went perfect.

Final Exam Day…

Pyro: Last question is an essay about what you want to do with your life. Five hundred word minimum, thousand word max.

Fern: …how many people even finish this question?

Moonflower: Can’t be that many. How many people know what they wanna do at our age?

Lucky Penny: Not too many, but we sure do!

Eternal Glow: And we are lucky for that!

Peppermint: Do we have to get personal?

Pyro: It can help with scholarships, but it’s not needed if you don’t want to.

Citrine: Scholarships. *huff* University! Great!

Pyro: Only if you want to. But that’s a problem for another time. Essays done, then we score them. You’ll be fine.

Later that day…

Citrine/Peppermint: Granola Falls!?

Peppermint: For all of us?!

Moonstone: Don’t sound so surprised! You all graduated with flying colors, and it’s not like the Falls are super expensive. You’ve earned a reward.

Peppermint: but–all of us? The whole class?!

Saffron: If their parents agree, yes.

Fern: …can I?

Fern: I know Uncle Mantis wants to leave soon, but–

Leaf: Your Uncle and I have something to take care of first, actually, so there’s no reason why not. It’s only for the weekend, anyway. You’ll probably beat us back!

Spring: Oh, good. More packing!

Fern: Again? Dad, is everything…

Leaf: It’s fine, baby. It’s just that…old recurring issue, again. Really, we’ll be back before you know it.

Fern: Are you sure? I can come with…

Leaf: No, Fern. Go with your friends. Have fun! It’s going to be work work work once we leave town, so enjoy what’s left of your freedom. You really have been working hard, kiddo.

Spring: You have been. I can get started on packing your things while you’re out, and when you get back we can do the rest.

Spring: For now, though, go with your friends. Granola Falls is beautiful this time of year. You should see it while you can.

Moonstone: Whoever’s coming with can leave tomorrow morning. The train to the Falls is only…what, four hours?

Saffron: Five. So bring a good book and you’ll be fine.

Moonstone: Oh, you kids don’t know what a treat you’re in for. This is going to be wonderful.

Granola Falls, the next day…

Moonflower: brr! Is it supposed to be this chilly here?

Fern: It’s because we’re in the mountains. You’ll warm up once we get moving for real.

Lucky Penny: You know, one thing I did miss about “regular” school was the Scout trips. They come up here every year!

Fern: Well us only coming once just makes it more special for us! Besides, this means we get to skip the tents.

Eternal Glow: Thank the Watcher for that!

Moonstone: Hey, Saf? Did you ever come back here after you left town?

Saffron: No, never.

Moonstone: Never?

Saffron: Never. This was our place, where I first realized…well, that I liked you as more than just a friend, and I wanted it to stay like that.

Moonstone: So you stayed away until now?

Saffron: Yeah. And it’s been worth it.

Saffron: Getting to come back here, with you…oh, Moony. I’d change a lot about our lives if I could, but…not this. Not you.

Moonstone: Well, good. Because I wouldn’t change you, either.

Saffron: We’ve lived a good life, haven’t we.

Moonstone: We really have.

That evening…

Peppermint: So…what now?

Fern: What do you mean?

Peppermint: Well, we’re done with high school. What’re everyone’s plans going forward?

Fern: Well, mine have been made for me, so–nobody change their mails or phones, okay?

Lucky Penny: I’ve got an apprenticeship in Evergreen Energy, so I’ll be in that part of the world for a while. Probably a work-sponsored Uni, too.

Moonflower: I’ve got like, sixteen different novellas to finish, so I’ll be skipping Uni for a while. Maybe take a gap year, help the trips with their studies too.

Eternal Glow: I’ve gotta go back to Sixam for a bit, handle some things for Mom, but afterwards…I’m thinking about joining the astroengineering corps. Build rockets at the space center, you know?

Peppermint: I’ve already got a programming gig lined up with them, so…Citrine?

Citrine: …it’s been two years.

Moonflower. What?

Citrine: Since Gramoony told us about her heart. The doctors said she had two or three years. It’s been two, and we’re no closer to finding the Well.

Fern: I looked for Dad and Uncle’s journals, but I could never find them. We’ve only got the Willow for a lead…

Peppermint: And it went nowhere. …*sigh* Look, maybe we should. Maybe we should stop looking.

Citrine: Pep–

Peppermint: We tried, sis. And Gran’s had a great two years with us. …I hate it, but maybe…

Eternal Glow: Maybe you should let go?

Peppermint: Yeah.

Lucky Penny: …that can’t be easy, but…there’s still some time. She’s not that bad off, is she?

Moonflower: She looked pretty good to me.

Fern: We still have some time. We can use it chasing down leads, or…

Fern: Or, you two can spend what time she’s got left with her. Isn’t it worth every moment you have? We always knew this was a long shot.

Citrine: …thought it was a closer shot.

Peppermint: We all did. …but…we tried, right? We gave it our best?

Moonflower: We did. I’m sorry we couldn’t do more, you two.

Citrine: ….we tried. It’s funny, but…I almost wish we hadn’t, you know? That we hadn’t…had this hope we could fix it.

Peppermint: …what’s worse? Losing hope, or never having it at all?

Eternal Glow: Can’t both suck?

Moonflower: H-hey, guys, come on…you tried. Just the idea of a second chance–that’s more than a lot of people got. we did everything we could!

Lucky Penny: Everything she’d have let us do, anyway. I know it hurts, but…at least she got to choose this?

Citrine: Yeah. At least there’s that.

Peppermint: Still sucks!

Eternal Glow: Royally. But-hey, she’s still here now. Spend the time with her, okay? Life can wait a little bit.

Lucky Penny: Most of it, anyway.

Fern: Like I said: Nobody change their emails or their phone numbers! We’ll stay in touch, right?

Citrine: Of course we will.

Citrine: …we have to. After all this…I mean…we can’t lose you guys, too.

Lucky Penny: You won’t. No matter what else happens, we’ll always be friends. I promise that.

Moonflower: Me too!

Eternal Glow: Same. The six of us…we’ll always be friends. The Springs Six.

Peppermint: The Springs Six. …I like it.

The next morning…

Nova: Wanna head back?

Calcite: Not yet.

Nova: Okay. Let me know when.

Peppermint: I’m sorry about last night.

Eternal Glow: Oh, babe, no. It’s okay. It’s a lot–I get it.

Peppermint: Still, I–

Eternal Glow: Hey. I’m your boyfriend. We’re gonna be working together when I get back. What’s a few sad nights?

Peppermint: …yeah. Thanks.

*gentle snoring*

Saffron: They are still sound out of it. You good, babe?

Moonstone: I’m better than good.

Moonstone: Ori’ll keep me company. Go start on breakfast?

Saffron: You bet.

Fern: You never answered the question last night. What’re your plans?

Citrine: Don’t have any.

Fern: Nothing? No ideas?

Citrine: Ugh, no. And I don’t want any! I just–I want things to stay the same, okay? So I’m gonna keep as much as I can the same and go from there.

Citrine: I’ll stick with the newscast and just. Go from there.

Fern: Okay, okay. …sunshine, you know it’s okay to be upset, right?

Citrine: I know!

Citrine: Can we just—can we just run?

Fern: Yeah.

Citrine: Where’s the river lead?

Fern: Up to Lake Fiddlehead, I think. Wanna follow it back?

Citrine: Yeah.

Fern: Just pace yourself! You don’t wanna roll an ankle or anything.

Citrine: I know, I know!

Fern: Come on–lake’s through here.

Citrine: You studied the map, didn’t you?

Fern: Always have, always will. I’m real fun on long car rides.

Fern: See! Lake Fiddlehead.

Citrine: Great! Pretty! Ugh….

Fern: …here. Let’s take a break.

Citrine: ….why do things have to change.

Fern: It’s a part of life, sunshine. Without change, life gets stale. There’s nothing wrong with routine, but if nothing ever changes, we never…grow, I guess.

Citrine: You’ve been reading those self-help articles again, haven’t you?

Fern: Hey I need every boost I can get when dealing with Uncle Mantis. But don’t change the subject. You don’t want things to change?

Citrine: I want my friends and family to stay the same. I know none of us live forever, I just…I thought…

Fern: You thought we’d have more time together.

Citrine: Yeah, I really did. Gram’s dying, everyone else is going to internships or uni, and you’re. Going wherever you’re going with no way back. And then there’s me…too scared to move forward.

Fern: Hey…Cit, we’re only eighteen. There’s plenty of time to figure the rest of your life out! And there’s nothing wrong with taking that time, either.

Citrine: And what if you don’t have the time to take?

Fern: …then, you make the most of whatever time you do have. No one’s promised forever, Cit. Not even the world will be around forever.

Citrine: No. But it sure will be here a lot longer than any of us.

Citrine: So, when you leave…d’you think you could let me know where the Well was all this time? Just to put a period on it, you know?

Fern: Oh, believe me, the first chance I get you’re gonna know. Damn thing’s hidier than those I Spy games EG loves.

Citrine: No kidding. ….hey, um…if you didn’t have this whole, Hunter and Protector thing, what would you have done with your life?

Fern: If I didn’t…whoo, that’s a loaded question. Hm. If I didn’t have all of this…probably something athletic. Maybe a personal trainer, or a coach.

Citrine: What, no sports star Miss Strike?

Fern: Pfft, no. I’m the behind the camera kinda girl.

Citrine: Heh, that makes two of us. ….d’you think we’ll ever meet again?

Fern: We will. I promise, Cit. We will.

Citrine: So what did you want to see up here?

Fern: Not what, who.

Citrine: Who?

Fern: Mage Whiteflame.

Citrine: Mage Whiteflame? Fern, this cryptic stuff–

Fern: *laugh* Sorry, sorry. I talked with Master Terra about…things, and he said that Mage Whiteflame knew the most about this sort of thing on this side of the Portal, so if anyone’ll know it’ll be her.

Citrine: And she lives out here?

Fern: She does. Out in the Deep Wood. We can get to it through…there! That tunnel.

Citrine: …well that’s not creepy at all.

Fern: Once more unto the breach, my dear friend.

Citrine: Those things were as big as my head!!!

Fern: *laugh* I think they were more scared of you than you of them, Cit!

Citrine: I don’t think so! Gah, I hate bats.

Fern: *snicker* Remember we’ve got to go back through there to get to the cabin.

Citrine: ….I hate you.

Fern: Love you too. Hey, up there–that’s her cabin.

Citrine: Oh, I hope she’s home. …Excuse me! Mage Whiteflame?

Fern: Mage Whiteflame! Fern Strike of the House of Thorns seeks an audience with you, my lady!

Whiteflame: Oh? And what have we here. A Huntress and…a not. An audience is granted, Fern Strike of the House of Thorns! For what have you sought me out?

Fern: Ah–um, we need your help, my Lady. We’re looking for something and…well, you’re our last hope.

Whiteflame: Oh?

Citrine: The Spirit Willow, Mage, we–

Whiteflame: Ah-ah-ah! Not here. Come, inside. We will speak of it there.

Whiteflame: …I see. So, the grand House of Thorns has been of no help in this matter, then.

Citrine: Only Fern.

Fern: And only because Uncle hasn’t caught on yet. He’d have had my hide if he knew I spilled the beans, so…uh…please don’t say anything?

Whiteflame: Pfft. My time with the Council is long at an end, child, you’ve not that to fear from me. Honestly…this has Chronos written all over it anyway.

Citrine: That’s…the head of the Council, right?

Fern: Yep. Master Chronos is the oldest.

Whiteflame: And the stupidest dragonborne to ever live.

Citrine: Uhm. What?

Whiteflame: Ah, a tale for another time. Suffice it to say, when the Council began all those years ago, what they protected was meant to be used for the good of all berrykind. The Council–the Guardians–were meant to protect things from misuse or overuse, not to hide it away forever. I see that has changed…

Fern: …yeah. Big time.

Citrine: ….Mage Whiteflame, that’s all very interesting, but that’s not why we’re here. Is there anything you can tell us?

Whiteflame: I have recipes for various healing potions. Beyond that, no.

Citrine: But…it’s too late for those….

Fern: Mage, is there really nothing you can do?

Whiteflame: Everything and everyone have a time and place to cross to the Meadow, child. If this is your grandmother’s time, then let it come with ease and grace.

Fern: but–isn’t it the way of the Guardians to fight until the last? How can we just let this go without a fight?!

Whiteflame: Because there is value in when knowing when to lay down arms and allow the next generation to take over. *sigh* And take it from an Ageless, child: sometimes death is a welcome friend.

Fern: but—shouldn’t that still be Miss Moony’s choice? And how can she make that choice without all the options!

Citrine: Fern…

Whiteflame: ….very well. But, as I said, I know precious little of that part of the world now. The Spirit Willow once grew on the banks of the Silver River. I know not what the people living there now call it, but…

Whiteflame: At the time, owing to the Willow’s existence, the area was known as Willow Creek. But, over the years, that part of the world has become known as Waffle Creek.

Fern/Citrine: WAFFLE CREEK?!

Whiteflame: Is that not what I said?

Citrine: And you’re sure it’s there?

Whiteflame: As certain as I can be. Mind you, it has been quite some time since I was there…the tree might have been felled and the entrance with it.

Citrine: That’s a train ride from here! We can still get there!

Fern: Heck, we can leave tomorrow and find it before sundown!

Citrine: Thank you so much, Mage Whiteflame! We’ve got to go–right now!

Whiteflame: Take heed, child: The choices we make affect more than our own destinies. Doors you open do not always close behind you.

Citrine: I know! But it’s a chance we’ve got to take–thank you again!

Fern: Come on, slowpoke! I’ll keep the bats away!

Citrine: FERN!

–

Whiteflame: ….*sigh* Ancestors look after you, child.

Whiteflame: May they look after us all.

All: Waffle Creek?!

Lucky Penny: It’s been that close this entire time?!

Moonflower: How did we never see it?!

Fern: Well, the name did change after the Shift, so…

Moonflower: …so you met someone who’s that old. I’m. You know what I’m not even going to go that way.

Lucky Penny: So, what now?

Citrine: Now we go after the thing and give Gram the choice.

Peppermint: ….and if it’s not there? If it’s not…

Eternal Glow: Pep…babe, isn’t it worth looking anyway?

Peppermint: I just–*sigh*

Citrine: I know it’s a complete long shot, Pep, but we have to try. We can’t give up without trying.

Fern: And Waffle Creek’s down the green line from the Springs, and it’s like, three hours from here anyway? We can make that trip easy.

Eternal Glow: So it’s worth a shot.

Peppermint: I just don’t want this to be for nothing.

Citrine: It’s not going to be for nothing, Pep. It won’t be for nothing.

Peppermint: You can’t promise that.

Citrine: No, I can’t. But I’m going to try anyway. We’re going to see this through.

Fern: We will. We all will.

Peppermint: I know we all want to, but…Citrine, if this doesn’t work out, if we can’t find the thing before it’s too late, or if Gram decides not to use it…we have to be okay with that. Is it worth trying, even knowing that?

Citrine: ….it can’t have all been for nothing. I won’t let it be for nothing.

Fern: Pep, come on. Could you live with yourself if you didn’t try?