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.
Moonstone: Sweetheart, what happened?
Peppermint: Nothing!
Calcite: Peppermint….
Peppermint: *sigh* …Mom’s pregnant.
Moonstone: Corona is…wait, I thought station employees weren’t supposed to…
Nova: They’re not. If she keeps it she’ll have to go planetside for the term and…oh. Oh, Pep.
Citrine: And…what? Pop?
Peppermint: They’re keeping it, which means they have to stay until it’s safe for the baby to travel back to Maxis.
Citrine: And? Isn’t that after they’re born?
Peppermint: No, it’s…the flight to Sixam is one thing, but…all the way back from Arcadis…they won’t be able to leave until my sibling is done with puberty.
Citrine: What?! But that’s–
Calcite: Anywhere from fifteen to twenty years. Oh, Pep.
Nova: Champ, I’m so sorry.
Saffron: Kiddo…
Moonstone: Honey, you do know we’re not going to kick you out the second you turn eighteen, right? You have nothing to worry about here.
Moonstone: You’ve always got a place with us.
Peppermint: I know, Gramoony, I just…
Citrine: You feel like you’ve been replaced. Like…like you weren’t wanted.
Peppermint: …yeah.
Citrine: Pep…
Peppermint: …is this how it felt with you, Cit? Like…like someone grabbed your heart and yanked?
Citrine: …Mmhmm
Peppermint: …it really, really sucks.
Citrine: Yeah. It does. Um, Dad? H-how old you have to be before you can make the flight to Arcadis?
Calcite: Eighteen, at minimum. And it’s a two year flight. Pep, I’m sorry, but…
Nova: There’s…nothing we can do. Watcher, what were they thinking.
Peppermint: I don’t care. They’re…they’re not my family. Not really. You guys–*sniff* You guys are.
Citrine: Oh, Pep…of course we are.
Two weeks later…
Citrine: …and, when Amber was in her early twenties, she finally lived out her dream and went to Selvadorada to explore the Belomisia. That was where she met Solana, and the two of them had me.
Citrine: .And…that’s it. The rest isn’t worth telling. It doesn’t have a happy ending.
Fern: Maybe not, but it sure was a happy beginning to something. It was your start, and that’s important, too.
Peppermint: Really important.
Pyro: Not every ending is happy, Citrine, but that doesn’t make their stories not worth telling. Still, Good work. You did well for having so little to work with for a while there..
Citrine: Thank you, Mr. Pyro. I learned a lot doing this.
Pyro: That was the point. Alright, that’s enough for today. Class dismissed, everyone. I’ll see you tomorrow.
Everyone: See you tomorrow, Mr. Pyro!
-
Eternal Glow: Ugh, finally! I thought that’d never be done!
Peppermint: Ah, come on, EG! It wasn’t that bad.
Eternal Glow: Speak for yourself! You don’t have eighteen cousins and six different Auncles to plot for your family history!
Citrine: Nah, just two absent Moms.
Fern: And a domineering uncle.
Eternal Glow: Oh, shut it! Race you to the park!
Fern: What–hey! Oooh…come on, we’ll lose ‘em!
Citrine: yeah, hang on…
Fern: Whatcha got there?
Citrine: Email alert…ooh, ouch.
Fern: What?
Citrine: Tickets on the new express line between stations…five hundred thousand simoleons.
Fern: Oh, ouch! You planning a trip?
Citrine: Not for me, for Pep–their parents are having a baby and it really upset them since they can’t meet until the kid’s done with growing and—argh, why is this so expensive?!
Fern: Uh, it’s new tech? It’s gotta be paid for somehow
Fern: Does Pep know you’re looking into this?
Citrine: No, but. It’s better than stalking my Mom’s social media profiles…
Fern: …ah. Yeah, I get that.
Fern: Hey, tell you what–I’ll help you save up! Maybe by the time Pep’s old enough to make the trip they’ll be cheaper!
Citrine: I sure hope so…this costs more than the house did when my Gramma Opal bought it! New!
Citrine: *sigh* It was an idea, anyway…thanks, Fern.
Fern: Of course! What’re friends for?
Citrine: ….hopefully, staying in town. Right now?
Citrine: For losing races to the park!
Fern: Wha–hey! Citrine! *laugh*
Citrine: Come on, slowpoke!
Later…
Fern: Man, I still can’t believe Mrs. Spiral said those kinda prices are normal for express tickets. I know it’s new tech, but…yeesh!
Citrine: You’re telling me…I dunno how we’re gonna get Pep over there…
Citrine: Hey, who’s–
Fern: Daddy!
Leaf: Fern! Hi, sweetheart! We’re back!
Fern: Finally!
Fern: I missed you so much!
Leaf: I missed you, too, doodlebug. Were you good for your Mom?
Fern: Uh, yeah? Do you even have to ask?
Leaf: Well, when I was your age, I wasn’t quite so good to my parents…
Fern: Daddy! *laugh*
Leaf: Oh? Who’s this?
Citrine: Hi! I’m Citrine, I’m–
Fern: She’s a friend from school. She and her sib live in the big house down the road.
Fern: She’s…kinda my best friend.
Leaf: Kinda?
Citrine: Totally besties. –oh, Mr. Strike? What do your tattoos mean?
Leaf? What, these? It’s a sort of…family tradition, you could say. Fern might get them when she’s older, too.
Fern: Really?
Leaf: Really. But we can talk about that later.
Citrine: Family tradition, huh…
Fern: Yep! Mom’s from a different family so hers are different but–
Leaf: Ah-ah, Fern, you know the rules.
Fern: But–Daaaaaaaaad! Cit’s my best friend!
Fern: Can’t we just…bend them a little?
Leaf: We’ve already bent them enough. You know how things are, and they’re like that for…
Fern: A reason, I know, I know. Ugh. Reasons suck.
Leaf: Some do. Well, Citrine, it was nice to meet you, but I’m afraid something’s come up. Something…family related. You understand?
Citrine: I do. It was nice meeting you, Mr. Strike. See you tomorrow, Fern.
Fern: See you tomorrow! Dad, why’d you have to run her off…
Leaf; You know why. Now, come on. Your uncle’s in a mood again.
Leaf: …well. The neighbor girl’s gone home. Are the wards up?
Spring: Up and humming.
Mantis: Fern, go to your room.
Fern: But–
Mantis; No buts. Go. Now.
Leaf: Mantis.
Spring: It’s okay, sweetheart. Go on now.
Fern: Okay, okay…jeez. Who put a cactus in your pillow…
*door opens, closes*
Mantis: That girl…
Spring: Just turned thirteen. Give her some slack.
Mantis: Slack. Slack. *snort* Like we have time for that.
Spring: …are things that bad?
Leaf: They’re…not good.
Spring: Has someone found the Glade?
Leaf: Not as far as we could figure, but…we’ve got multiple interested parties, and…even worse, Shadow is involved.
Spring: …you have got to be kidding. Her?!
Mantis: Her, and whatever benefactor’s been pulling her strings all these years.
Spring: What did the Guardians have to say about it?
Leaf: Nothing much. Lady Delphine’s Sight still can’t find the source, but…
Mantis: But that just means it’s powerful enough to hide from an Oracle. Which doesn’t leave many options.
Spring: …you don’t think it’s…actually him, do you?
Leaf: There’s no signs of that. For all we know, this is just a very powerful sorcerer.
Mantis: Powerful enough to hide from an Oracle and three Sage-class mages, and a full Guardian Council? Don’t be stupid. Whatever Shadow’s after the Glade and the Well for, it’s got something to do with him.
Spring: …I thought there was supposed to be more time. Before the seal was too weak to hold him back.
Leaf: That’s what we all thought.
three years later…
Eternal Glow: So you two aren’t going on some big summer trip this year?
Rose: You’re kidding, right? We’re in public school, EG. Even if there was a trip, that’d be like, a hundred of us? We’re lucky if we get to go to the river with that many people!
Fern: Well, not as a school, but maybe just the three of you? Like, as a summer break?
Oceana: ha, no. Not with internships coming in full force now.
Citrine: Don’t remind me…Mr. Blast gave us a whole pamphlet of options based on early placement scores…who knew having such a well rounded education left you so many options!
Peppermint: Speak for yourself. Most of us already know what we want to do.
EG: Except for Fern.
EG: You still won’t tell us your plans…
Fern: Family secret. Maybe I’ll tell you next semester.
Citrine: *laugh* You and your secrets!
Citrine: …must be nice, though…having it all planned ahead of time.
Peppermint: Eh, it helps.
Lucky Penny: What about you two? Any big dreams with the internships?
Rose: Nothing really big! I’ve got work at the Greenhouse studying plants from Sulani, and Oceana over here’s actually going for a summer internship, so.
Ocean: So we’re busy. And Candy Corn’s neck deep in her Sixam exchange program, so.
Fern: So everyone’s going places. That’s good.
Citrine: …yeah. I guess it is. *sigh* Just makes me wish I knew what I was doing.
Lucky Penny: Well, like the song says, try everything!
Citrine: Helpful, Pen, helpful!
Citrine: I dunno, at this point I’m just gonna throw a dart at the list and go with that!
Lucky Penny: Nothing wrong with that, either. Hey, Fern, can you give us any hints on where you’re going for your internship?
Fern: …well, it’s…back in Glimmerbrook. For the whole summer.
Citrine: Wait what–the whole summer?!
Peppermint: And in the mountains–what, are you going into forestry or mining or something?
Fern: No, it’s….*sigh*
All: A family secret.
Fern: Yeah. Sorry.
Rose: Must be a big secret if you haven’t spilled one word in the whole…what, three years you’ve been here?
Fern: My uncle would kill me. Literally.
Peppermint: I know I’ve said this already, but I do not like your Uncle. He scares me.
Citrine: He makes Gramma Stel’ look nice, and that’s when she’s in a mood!
Rose: So, he’s a cactus!
Fern: Ugh, he should sleep on one! I want to tell you, but.
Eternal Glow: Nah, it’s cool. Just…the whole summer? Oof.
Moonflower: That’s one hands on study program, isn’t it?
Fern: Like you wouldn’t believe. Mom and Dad had the same one? They keep warning me to stock up on bruise salve and burn cream. Like, hello? Way to freak me out!
Citrine: Please come back in one piece, okay?
Fern: I plan to, sunshine. I plan to.
Citrine: …I gotta go use the bathroom. Anybody want anything? Snack, drink?
Peppermint: Nah, we’re good. Too late for more s’mores.
Rose: Yeah…we should be headed home soon, anyway.
*water shuts off…*
Citrine: …*sigh* Snap out of it, Crystal…it’s just for the summer.
Moonflower: Cit? You okay?
Citrine: Wh–yeah, Moony, I’m good.
Moonflower: Uh-huh, sure. You wanna try that again?
Citrine: ….psych major.
Moonflower: Big sister. This about Fern, or the trip?
Citrine: Can it be both?
Moonflower: Sure, sure. I just figure it’s easier to solve the Fern problem, is all.
Citrine: She’s not a problem!
Moonflower: Not her, but this whole, secret trip into the mountains for the summer. You two are practically joined at the hip! Gonna be a change.
Citrine: Please don’t psych at me, Moony.
Moonflower: Girl, it’s either psych at you or tease you for that crush.
Citrine: I don’t–mmph. Breathe one word to her and I’m telling Penny you’ve been crushing on her since last year.
Moonflower: *laugh* Fair, fair. And no worries, I can keep quiet.
Moonflower: I’m just saying. You should tell her. The way you two are…I don’t think it’d change much of anything.
Citrine: …when she gets back. I just…want things to be normal.
Moonflower: ha…I feel that.
Later that night…
Citrine: …what am I gonna do….
Door creaks open, shut
Saffron: We should really oil that door.
Moonstone: Speak for yourself, Miss Seeing Eye Person. Can you see me with a bottle of lube?
Saffron: Well…
Moonstone: *laugh* Saff!
Saffron: *laugh* I’m just saying! But yeah–I’ll get the oil in the morning.
Saffron: And not the–hm? Citrine? What’s the matter?
Citrine: …nothing.
Moonstone: Oh, boy.
Moonstone: I still remember the last time you said something was nothing, sweetie.
Citrine: No, it’s. *groan* …okay, it’s something.
Saffron: Mmhm, thought so. Alright, come on. Come sit with us a bit.
Moonstone: So…either Selva or Komorebi, huh?
Citrine: Mmhmm.
Saffron: Well, a week of summer in Selva will be miserable, but Komorebi’s freezing even in July, so…
Citrine: It’s not the weather, it’s…I promised myself I’d stop bringing this up all the time! Why does it chase me around like this?
Saffron: Kiddo…your past is a part of you. You can never outrun it.
Moonstone: Let me guess: Alam, and the Museum.
Citrine: Yep. A full two weeks at the Museo de Cultura Belomisia. Try saying that five times fast.
Moonstone: And the director of this Museum happens to be Solana.
Citrine: Yep.
Saffron: Oh boy.
Citrine: …yep.
Saffron: …well, Cal’s going to have kittens, but…you’re sixteen now, kiddo. You can handle yourself if you want to meet her.
Citrine: I don’t know if I still do! I want to put it all behind me but I just keeps popping up and I don’t know what to do!
Moonstone: Well, what’re your options?
Citrine: Stay here or go. Voting for Komorebi won’t make a difference at this point.
Saffron: Hm. Well, this is a pickle…
Saffron: Set your Mom aside for a few minutes, kiddo. Selva is still your heritage. Aren’t you at all curious?
Citrine: I am, but it’s my mom that’s tangled up in it and I don’t know if I can face her!
Saffron: So, don’t think about that.
Citrine: What–Gramron, it doesn’t work like that.
Saffron: Sure it does! You’re going to see your culture, and she just happens to be museum director. She’s a stranger; be polite, sure, but it doesn’t have to be personal.
Moonstone: And yes, it can work like that.
Moonstone: Honey, you can’t change Solana, or rewrite the past. But you can learn, and then take that knowledge into the future. Besides…it’s been fourteen years since she brought you here. People can change. Maybe she’s changed, too.
Citrine: I just…don’t want to get my hopes up.
Citrine: After all this time….she didn’t want kids, and she’s never reached out, so…why should going change that?
Saffron: Well, it’s a lot harder to ignore a person than an email, so.
Moonstone: Let me ask you this. If you didn’t go, or if you didn’t try…it’d haunt you for a long time, wouldn’t it?
Citrine: …yeah. It would.
Saffron: Then you know what you have to do.
Saffron: You go, and you learn what you can. About the Omiscans, the Belomisia, your heritage. Your mother, if she wants to talk.
Citrine: And if she doesn’t?
Saffron: Then you know you tried, and maybe you can put her behind you for good this time.
Citrine: ….yeah. But the actual hard part’s going to be convincing Dad….he’s really scared of the Belomisia, isn’t he?
Saffron: Well…
Moonstone: More than a little.
The next morning…
Nova: *humming*
Peppermint: Cit? …Oh, for…please don’t tell me she…
Nova: She did.
Moonstone: *laugh* That girl…
Calcite: *sigh* Just like her mother. Lost in a book!
Peppermint: I’ll get her.
-
Citrine: Oh, for Watcher’s sake, just kiss the girl already!
Peppermint: Cit? *knock on door* You better be decent…what are you doing?
Citrine: Shh! I’m almost done…
Citrine: Argh! No kiss and a cliffhanger? I can’t believe this!
Peppermint: What I can’t believe is you lost track of time, again! We’re gonna be late!
Citrine: What–oh, shoot!
Citrine: Out out out! Let me get changed!
Peppermint: Make it snappy!
Citrine: Out, jerk!
Peppermint: Come on!
Citrine: We’re going love you bye!
Calcite: *laugh* Be safe!
Moonstone: Just like her mother.
Citrine: Shoot shoot shoot! We’re so late already!
Peppermint: I told you to put the book down, but did you listen to me? Nooooo!
Citrine: Fern! Moony!
Moonflower: Dangit…now we have to run the whole way there?
Fern: Not too late to go get some sneakers.
Moonflower: I hate you.
Fern: Save your breath for running–come on, guys! Hustle!
Citrine: Double time!
After lessons…
Pyro: So, the trip’s itinerary’s been set. We’ll be landing in Rio, and taking a caravan to the Outpost. We’ll be guided along the main road through to Alam from there, and spend two weeks in Alam.
Peppermint: Two weeks? In the jungle. In summer.
Fern: You know, I was kinda bummed to miss the trip…but now I’m not!
Eternal Glow: It’ll be just like home.
Lucky Penny: Sure, if your idea of home is 100% humidity and mosquitoes as big as our heads!
Eternal Glow: Ha! Never meet a Juhi Beetle, Pen.
Pyro: Well, Sixam’s a bit out of our budget, so that’s not likely. And not to worry, there’s plenty of bug spray where we’re going.
Peppermint: So they just…give tours now?
Citrine: They do. It’s a big business because there’s four or five temples along the road to Alam. Plenty of tourist spots and little danger.
Fern: You’ve done your research.
Citrine: …Yeah. I have.
Fern: And yet…you don’t sound happy about this.
Citrine: …that doesn’t matter. We’re going, so. I’ll deal.
Fern: Cit…
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