Raven Rawne

I'm still waiting for approval, and even if I get the green light for Crystal Clear, I'm not dead set for the Chef Engineer (she's a tinker type, but could work in other field as well), so I'm confident that we would come to a satisfying agreement.

@@Nightmare Season, "My thoughts exactly, just add a looming threat of unemployment." She said to the table she was resting her nose on, then raised her head to a normal position expected of a grown-up, civilised mare. "Sorry for that." - the mare took another portion of food into her mouth and wasn't done with it as Nightmare asked her a question. Crystal Shrugged while chewing, and once she was done, gave a proper answer. " Well I don't know... How many days till we reach that settlement? Will we meet any hostile wildlife on the way? Or perhaps, is my newest masterpiece of a cistern going to actually hold water rather than leak it all within an hour? I have all kinds of questions and uncertainties if you ask." She made a wide circular gesture with her foreleg for emphasis, held it in the air for a bit, then facehoofed. "Damn, I haven't made the spear shafts... I'm no fighter but I guess I would feel better with something I know how to swing, like that nice crystal maul I found with the tools, so how about you? Fancy a long pointy stick? Or you'd prefer to cut the poles entirely and use your magic to stab with them?" She smiled as she recalled some memory. "I remember making a suit of armour once, a decorative piece since only the Guard can have the real deal, but making it look like real was the real fun..." Crystal placed her forelegs on the table and rested her head on it, drifting into a daydream of her favourite orders, and said with a dreamy expression. "Yeah... that was interesting... You have no idea what sort of weird things I made over the years." She continued daydreaming until Nightmare called for her attention - he was shuffling the deck and getting ready to make a reading.

Hmmm, it does look rather interesting. Since I don't have much to my RP'ing name, just two 1x1 threads going on, I'm not sure if I'm the kind of participant you're looking for, but I can see Crystal Clear as a slightly snarky, mildly alcoholic Chief Engineer. Obivuously I'd have to adjust her backstory and reacquaint myself with Star Trek.

@@Orange Sparks, As they approached, Crystal Clear felt somewhat alarmed. Nopony just leaves a wagon like that... She heard a loud clank of heavy armour as Clare jumped off the cart. Funny how suddlenly she felt underdressed for the occasion, so she stayed by their wagon, hand on the sword hilt and kept her head on a swivel as Clare investigated. Once the other mare turned around to come back and delivered the news of what she saw, Crystal Clear sighed as the happy feeling she felt dimmed, as her coat and mane - she started looking normal. "I guess you're right... Come back and give me a minute to dress up a bit, I don't want an arrow in my chest once we get into the forest." She reached for her armor and donned everuthing except the helmet, clearly unhappy by the sudden need to suit up. With a pat on her chestplate, she announced. "Ready, let's keep going then."

@@Orange Sparks, The crystal mare waved her hand dismissively. "Just brainstorming dear. The landscape around Flounder Cove is a farmer's nightmare but the grass looked good, and grew everywhere. Perfect for grazing animals or just to cut it and sell for hay a couple times a year. either way we'll have to get to know the surrounding areas very well to decide if we can branch out into something else than fishing." She shook her head at Clare's remark. "Darling, we can't hide under our father's shadows forever. We're grown ups! If we decide to settle there, we'll do it like civilised ponies: Ask for a visit, make an offer, and if he makes some ridiculous demands, say, for the last attack, I'll hold him and you convince him in some more tangible way... Just kidding." Crys spotted a wagon with a broken axle in the ditch by the tract, some hundread steps ahead. There was nopony in sight right now, on the road or surrounding fields. "Hmm, strange. Take a look at it, abandoned wagon dead ahead." She pointed in the direction.

@@Orange Sparks, Crystal Clear cocked her had in thought. "Hmm... Not a good place for a trade port, but if we poured in some money, the ponies could get better income from their fish. Make it easier to pay some modest tax... Hay, maybe we could expand on pearl hunting or something? Or animal husbandry if we encourage new settlers... I could work with that, yeah. Of course we would have to buy it from the local lord first, but I don't suppose it would be a problem." Meanwhile, they reached the Spine Tract and turned towards Opal Hill. It was still obscured by the Prince's Forest ahead though.

@@Orange Sparks, Crys was peering at the main tract ahead, trying to tell who was travelling it. "It all depends on the settlement we take into stewardship. Personally, I'd like a small port town but these are very sought over... Mining settlements are pretty much all taken too, as pretty much every place that gives decent income but if we claimed a fishing village on one of the Eastern Isles, who knows. With enough coin for investments and a few ships we could make it a small trading hub. Now I reckon we could try and build our house a bit off the settlement, and maybe have a garden even? Crystal Clear thought for a moment and replied. "Well we're approaching the Spine Tract, and it will lead us straight to Opal so... three, four hours if we keep good pace? Somewhere along these lines, since we made good progress so far. Early summer is good for traveling through land, no mud." She kicked a loose stone out of the road with her bare hoof.

@@Orange Sparks, Crys smirked. "I for once always ask for more, if you catch my drift, but I agree with you on this one." The road forked into two - one route continued along the shore while the other went inland. Crystal Clear led the cart into the latter and up a gentle slope. She could tell it was way past noon already. The crystal mare observed whether their oxen needs help with pulling the wagon up, but the road was dry so the animal did okay. "Why not both" I mean, we sure could use a settlement to govern and get income, but we canbuild our house either next to it or nearby, say, on an overlooking hill. It all depends on where we'll settle of course but I have some ideas how to arrange it." She saw a major road in the distance, a few travellers could be seen on it.

@@Orange Sparks The crystal mare scratched the back of her head in contemplation. "I guess you're right, we'll get there eventually. In all honesty, I don't want to leave the Isles either. It's my home after all, and even though I've been on the continent a few times, I don't really like it there. Like you said, we'll get to it in our own time." Crystal Clear looked at the sea. "I admit, this land has some real beauty to it..." They walked some more, appreciating their company and the scenery.

@@Orange Sparks, Crys groaned. "Ohhh you just had to make it so... ordinary. And it really doesn't matter whether she was a crystal pony. I mean, it's always good to know more about one's family, but the point with my father is that I won't give him a company of crystal foals to play his genealogy game... I mean, to bolster the ranks of our venerable house, opulent and imperial" - she mimicked her father's catchphrase and laughed. Once she recovered, the crystal mare replied. "Sure I remember! At first I was suspicious how he could swich between a stern ruler and caring father, but I know it's a genuine part of his personality. Shame the older we got the less we see him that way, but I guess that's because we're not kids anymore, and he figured treating us like adults was better." Crys decided to chip in a topic of her own. "Hey, have you thought where you'd like to settle? I for once never really thought I would leave Raven Rock, the old stone pile holds so many memories..."

@@Orange Sparks, Crys gave her a strange look, meaning "lay off the drink darling" in plain Eqiestrian, but took the locket nevertheless. She bit her lower lip as she looked at it, long and hard, occasionally glancing where she's going. "Hmmmmm... It's pretty old so I can't say for sure but... it is a possibility. jusging from her smile she could be indeed crystallised on it." She held her own hand to her face to compare. "but if she were of my kin, then why I didn't know anything about it? Surely if she was connected to my family, she would be on that huge genealogy tree my father so loves to spend time before. You know the one, takes an entire wall in the Great Hall." She shrugged and gave Clare the locket. "Or she's from the continent. There are a few crystal noble houses still kicking besides mine. Guess you'll need to look for answers then, and you have my firm support. Even if it means breaking into the library at night." She winked at Clare and giggled.

@@Orange Sparks, Crystal Clear was still staring at the ring when she felt a pull on the reins - the road curved slightly and Betsy followed it, while the mare walked straight. "Oops, nearly walked into the ditch! Guess it shows how smitten I am." She giggled as she made the turn in the last moment. They were walking a rock throw away from the seaside and a rocky beach that guarded the entrance inland. "She certainly had great influence on you, and a very positive too. I am really thrilled you chose me to wear her ring, dear." She smiled in the direction of her future wife, laying on the wagon. "Never noticed what? - she craned her neck to get a better look inside, and see what puzzled Clare so suddenly. She was looking at the locket with her mother's picture, all the more strange...

@@Orange Sparks, Crys nodded happily. "Then you'll have the crystalliest ring in all of the Isles! I know just the pony for the job, I'm sure you'll like it once it arrives." She picked up the pace slightly, wishing she was already in the capital so she could write the letter to a certain artisan in Canterlot. The crystal mare looked at the surrounding countryside as she recalled the times with Clare's younger sister. "Yeah... those were the happier, simpler times. Well, this is also a happy time, but not so simple anymore, no." She almost tripped on her own hooves once she heard who owned the ring previously though. Crystal brought her hand closer to see the ring and replied with a voice full of emotions. "I... didn't know. I can only imagine how much it means to you then... I'm honored, I really am."

@@Orange Sparks, Crys burst in genuine laughter. "Now you're just rubbing the idea in me aren't you? Okay, one thing at a time? We have a wedding ahead of us I am not mistaken." She raised her palm, showing the ring. "By the way, it's not fair you don't have one. Guess we'll have to do something about it." The crystal mare strapped their oxen, still smiling to herself, and urged the animal to start walking. "So, you're going to take a nap again or something? We've got quite a trek to Opal, but I guess we should make it before midnight, and that's a pessimistic scenario." She walked for a few minutes in silence, then started asking questions. "So what do you think, a crystal ring would be pretty interesting, and fitting too! Sure, I'd have to import it from the continent but that would really be something..."

@@Nightmare Season, The mare decided to pick some more berries, and this time supplement with some of the preserved foods from the safe room. There was a lot of it in there anyway. So she quickly filled a bowl with fresh picked berries and loaded on some dried hay, clovers, dandelion flowers, and a small wheel of cheese. Crystal Clear walked into the kitchen trying to keep balance of her stack. She laid it all on the table, since Nightmare was already there and waiting, and presented her picks in a joking manner. "Ta-da! Today, chef recommends dried foods and fresh berries, since she's a lazy and awful cook!" The mare puffed her chest with pride and, after a moment, broke down in laughter. "Sorry... sorry... it's just my sense of humour... Come on, help yourself to any of those rare delicacies." Crystal grabbed a nearby plate and loaded herself a big portion of, well, everything. She was eating with some semblance of politeness when the stallion shared his thoughts.. She swallowed and rested her head on her foreleg and pondered over it. "Well... there are natural crystals in Equestria, of that I'm sure. Even saw a few decoration of Equestrian make, like a huge chandelier hanging from the ceiling in a Manehattan bank. Thing is... for them, crystal is just one of the many materials in their disposal. it has no special significance over other pretty things and if not for the Equestrian Games and subsequesnt fashion for all things Crystal Empire, it would stay like that. Equestria has a slew of materials at their disposal - timber, stone, metals... We had ice, snow, stone and crystal. So we learned the subtle nouances between different types, which are hard and fit for tools and which are soft and best for other uses, that kind of thing. Some of us even grow crystals like plants. But in the end, it all comes down to the costs, and crystal products are made in small workshops by hoof, not mass produced in factories. Tradition of our kind gives me plenty of work for now, but I fear in time even crystal ponies will start thinking with their coin purses..." She sighed deeply. "So, yeah, I can add new crystals but I will still be more expensive and less available than cheap Equestrian goods laying on store shelves by the dozens." She groaned and facedesked. "I can't count how many mights I couldn't sleep because of this. No matter what I come up with, they always beat me."

@@Orange Sparks, Crys smiled reassuringly to the mailmare. The scenery was far from idyllic and her unease was completely understandable. She rolled her eyes at her marefriend's shenaningas and once the, now also embarassed, mailmare, flied back to the capital, she turned her attention back to Clare. "I almost got jealous, you're on an adoption spree and I am not included..." She pouted for emphasis while the sea behind her made her eyes look even more brilliant, thanks to her translucent state. The crystal mare shrugged and went for their oxen, while unconciously spinning the ring on her finger.

@@Orange Sparks, The crystal mare stared for a moment at her pegasus companion, as if trying to make her talk, but to na avail. She bit her lower lip and shugged. "Let's just hope it was a once in a lifetime kind of thing - I have no wish for an encore..." Crystal Clear noticed the impaled dagger and pried it loose when Clarissa was thinking aloud about they joys of settling down and having kids. Ater some persuasion it finally let go and she sheathed it by her belt, alongsode the hand and a half saber. Just because she wore only normal clothes didn't mean she couldn't strap iron to her belt. Since the shining was fuelled by good mood, and Crys loved it when she shined, she indulged in her future wife's daydream. "Yeah... After we have a little knightly honeymoon we could pool our piggy banks and buy some settlement and raise a modest manor, where we could just live together as a family. Sure, we would have to decide whether we adopt some foals or have our own, but that's just details really." She smiled widely at the thought. "Damn, I'm already starting to think how our house would look like. I am so sold on this idea..." Crystal Clear noticed the mailmare approaching them somewhat unsurely. She was doing her best to avoid the red pools and look away from the still burning pile of corpses. She was so out of her element... Crys nudged Clare in her shoulder pad. "Wake up, seems you wanted to leave without saying goodbye. At least pen a note for miss Hooves to deliver. With a post scriptum that I want a warm bath a cool wine at my guest chamber."

@@Nightmare Season Crystal Clear stopped mid-step and looked at Nightmare, then nodded. "Excellent idea! I've never really been an outdoorsy type so I guess that's one reason I haven't thought about it..." She brought a hoof to her chin, as she always did, and stared nowhere in particular as she mused over the idea. "Hmm... I can't recall finding anything like it..." She stomped with the raised hoof and exclaimed: "I know!" The mare winced at the sudden cacophony of echoes. "Ouch, sorry. We can use an empty barrel from that storage room as outer shell. Sure, most were busted but maybe one will be more or less okay. Then we can try and fit a smaller container inside and stuff the in-between with rags and whatnot. And if course nail it down to the sleigh, preferably by the rear. I reckoned I'll pull and you'll push, since the harness is too small for you. And we don't want our supplies to catch fire from your tail..." She smiled reassuringly with her last sentence. "Now, back in my workshop I would make a small cistern in no time but I left my tools at home... Guess I'll have to try my hoof at carpentry then. I saw some basic carpentry tools in the safe room but my main concern is making it hold the water." Crystal paced the room for a bit to figure out something. "I guess I could nail down slats onto the junctions between individual boards and soak it all in the hot spring. That way the wood would expand and hopefully seal the holes." She nodded reassuringly to Nightmare. "Okay, I can do that. And break down some pebbles for that slingshot too. So that's on my to-do list. I'd like to ask you to bring the best barrel from the storage room, those are rather heavy and with magic you should have it easier. I'll go grab the carpentry tools and any easily accessible wood, maybe pry out some nails too... Alright, let's get going then. See you here in a few minutes." The mare turned to leave when the stallion proposed another project. She looked over her shoulder and replied: "I'm not sure I can make spear shafts but I can try. Thing is, those spears are metal, so I don't know if we can affix new shafts just like that." She trotted out of the room to bring her supplies. Finding the tools was easy and she brought them in just a few minutes. Nightmare was still off looking for the perfect barrel so the mare ventured back to look for wood. She went to the dorm, remembering the beds Nightmare cannibalised. They had some nice, long, straight boards. Crystal had some problems with disassembly, but she quickly noticed that a good buck would do the trick. Some ten minutes later or so, she broken down three beds and had enough wood for her little project. Or at least she thought so. Carrying the supplies proved harder than it should be so after delivering the first haul, she asked Nightmare to levitate the boards to them, then started working. The barrel had just one puncture on the lid, so it was pretty much perfect. The mare measured the inside diameters with hooves and available items, chose the boards for the inner cistern and started cutting them to length with the saw she found. Later on she assembled the construction with nails she found in the safe room and a few ones pulled out off the boards. An hour later, she wiped her brow and announced: "I hate carpentry... but this thing is ready. Nightmare, could you dump it into the hot spring to soak? I need a moment, then I'll get to work on slingshot ammo." She licked her lips. "All that work on the cistern made me thirsty... Not in THAT sense, mind you, water would suffice. Buuut it's all outside, waiting to be melted. If you could spare a moment, it would be nice to acquire some. I'll be by the collapsed wall you blew up to chip some pebbles if you need me." She pulled out her crystal pickaxe from her saddlebags and went to the impromptu quarry, using now nicely charged up necklace for light. Nightmare's flames seemed to work better than direct sunlight. The mare was chipping a stone slab into rubble when she saw familiar orange reflexes on the walls and turned to face the stallion. "Nearly finished here, I have a whole bag of ammo. Speaking of which, I should've brought one with me to pack the stones inside... Oh, you brought water, thanks." She took the cup from his magical grasp and tried the temperature. Still warm, but not too hot. She drank it all in a few gulps. "Once again, thanks. I'll finish shortly and we'll eat something. Well, I will for sure, you can either join me or wait for your treat till I catch some z's." She smiled somewhat and resumed her work. "Oh and throw a bag or empty sack at me so I can pack it up." Some twenty minutes later or so, she carried a flour sack of stones back to the sleigh. "Okay, time to eat."

@@Orange Sparks Crys returned the nuzzle and said apologetically. "It was my fault...I got so confused between you and my father that I talked nonsense. I'm sorry for that." Clare laid out her plan and climbed the wagon. Meanwhile Crys looked at the ring on her finger from different angles. It looked beautiful. She rose to her hooves and dusted off her clothes, then tied the lace of her shirt, lest it would show too much. The mare turned to face the pegasus, who was still in her plates, and looked at her quizzically. "Different... how? Once I finished venting I felt like I had no will to live, and got so weak that I couldn't get up but... I have no idea what it was." She turned around to show off her shiny translucent self. "Isn't this enough of a cue that I feel great? Feels like you saved my life just now!" She suddenly remembered something. "You did say goodbye to the villagers, right? And I reckon we leave the ship to the guards to sort out?"

@@Orange Sparks Crystal stared at the ring on her finger like it was the most important thing in the world. Well, it was in hers at least. Whether she understood what Clare was talking to her was anypony's guess though. She didn't react in any way until the pegasus got up and brought the crystal pendant. It still shined that blue white light but once Clare picked it up it was only a bit warm to the touch. The sitting mare tried to back away from the piece of jewelry, but all she managed was to lean heavier on the wheel behind her. Tears came to her eyes as Clare tied it back on her neck and she started to protest, but a kiss silenced her. She seemed to realise something and grabbed the crystal heart with the same hand Clare put a ring on, and held close to her chest. Once Clare was holding her in her arms, she looked at her, then at her ringed hand, and said. "I love you Clare... Always was and always will." Then she closed her eyes and added. "And I accept my ancestry." Even though her hand was tightly clenched around the tiny crystal heart, brilliant light emanated from within and temporary blinded both mares. Crystal Clear felt as a wave of warmth and... life, emanated from the bauble and reached to every part of her body. She felt her strength again. A lightness in her chest made her feel again. And clear head made her think straight again. She opened her eyes and smiled at the pegasus. "Hello sweetie, or should I say, dearest wife? I'll have to come up with new pet names." She was back in business, nice and shiny. Literally, since she crystallised in her wife's arms.

@@Orange Sparks Crystal Clear didn't know how much time passed since she freed herself from the looming shadow of her ancestry when Clarissa got back to her. The greyed out mare looked up at her marefriend with slight surprise and said in a dull monotone. "You... came back? I told it to go fuck itself. That I want none of it and won't waste my life on old mares tales. I'll never hurt you because of it..." It seemed she tried to kick something but her hoof didn't hit anything, just weakly cut through the air. Crystal Clear trailed Clarissa with her dull eyes as she reached for something, but had no strength, or will, to get up, so she propped herself into a sitting position and rested her back on the wheel of their cart and talked nonsense. "I did it Clare, I did it for you. I freed myself from it's shadow and can be my own mare, not a breeding oven for its cause..." She saw Clarissa come back into view and smiled weakly. "You came back..." It seemed she had only rudimentary grasp on what was going on. She heard the other mare propose to her and mustered a reply, weak as it was. "I... y-yes." As soon as Crys said those words, a nearby pool of mud and blood erupted in blue flame, sizzling and drying out. After just a few seconds the ground in a elbows radius became dry as in the worst drought, revealing the mare's pendant, now glowing blue-white like it was incredibly hot. It spooked the crystal mare who tried to get away from it, but her legs failed to carry her. She began shouting to the pendant as it was a living creature. "No, I told you I am no longer yours! Leave me and Clare alone!" She brought her legs to her chest in a fetal position and her eyes darted fearfully between her love and the pendant.